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"There is a kind of physiogomy in the titles of books no less 
than in the faces of men, by which a skillful observer will kfiow 
what to expect from the one as from the other.” 


There is power in a Name 
Only as we make it so. 


Surnames: Their Origin 
and Nationality 


A GOOD NAME 
A GOOD OMEN 



*> i > 

1 > > 


By L. B. McKENNA, M. A., L. L. D. 


*yV 


The monarch printing Co. 

QUINCY. ILLINOIS 









COPYRIGHT t©13 
BY 

LLEWELLYN B. McKENNA, 



©Cl, A3 6107 2 

/ 



FOREWORD. 

I T has been said of young Napoleon when his teacher 
told him one day that the name Napoleon meant 
the lion of Naples, he answered: “Since the lion 
is the king of beasts I should be as my father was at 
all times, generous to his friends, but relentless to his 
enemies.” This thought seemed to have influenced the 
young man all through his short life. When important 
matters were to be passed upon he would try to act as 
he was told his father had done under like conditions, 
thus merely emphasizing the statement so often heard, 
while imitation is an aid to youth, it enslaves manhood. 

It is the duty of every one in this world to do his 
own thinking and acting, in short, he should be a lifter 
and not a leaner among men. Achievement comes only 
from personal and well directed effort. In this way 
one may make for himself an honorable and enduring 
name. 

Inasmuch, as no one has the opportunity of choos¬ 
ing the land of his birth, nor of selecting his grand¬ 
father, it is certainly fortunate for us as American 
people to be able to know that we come of good 
European stock, and thus it is believed that many a 
young person will be glad of this chance of learning 
who his forefathers were and where they originally 
came from. Emerson was undoubtedly right when he 
said, “American is but another name for opportunity.” 

It is hoped that a careful reading of this book may 
be an inspiration to greater effort in getting on in life. 

LLEWELLYN B. McKENNA. 
Quincy, Illinois, Dec, 1, 1913. 


History of People as Revealed 
in Their Surnames. 


How the Nationality, Origin, and Early Occupation of the People 
May be Learned through a Study of their Surnames. 


“Words are but things , and a drop of ink 
Falling like dew upon a thought, 

Makes thousands and perhaps millions think ” 


O NE would scarcely think when he was conversing 
with Peter Snooks, that his forefathers, a century 
or more ago lived near the Seven Oaks in the 
midst of the Hopyards of Kent, England, but such is 
the case. 


„ Snooks is nothing but a contraction of the words 
Seven Oaks,” and one would scarcely think that 
Robert Whittaker was simply a descendant of Robert 

eC ^ Pr ° n0UnCed in the Scotch wa y Whittaker. 
These Whitecars are frequently found in the Clydes- 
dale near Glasgow, Scotland, still writing their name 
Whitecar and pronouncing it Whittaker. The name 
Sidney, also written Sydney is nothing but a contrac- 
, °n of St - Deni s. Pronounced in the French SanDenny, 
hence, in its English contraction Sidney, so also, is 
Seymour but another form of the French St. Maur. 




Surnames and Their Origin 


5 


Names from the Norman French. 


These Norman French names in Great Britain are 
very numerous as they are also in the United States. 
Families who are descended from these people are very 
proud of having their names recorded in Doomsday, 
an ancient register containing all of the select “400” 
of the Norman French found in England. One would 
lose sight of for the moment that Mr. Janeway is simply 
an indication that he was formerly from Genoa, and 
that Mr. Curtis was one of courtly training, and in no 
sense a boor, and that Mr. Spencer and Mr. Stewart 
were high servants, Mr. Spencer being the dispenser of 
the business of the estate, whereas, Mr. Stewart was 
simply the steward of the manor or chief house on the 
estate. 

When Mary Stewart, queen of Scots, married to the 
eldest son of the King of France, known as the 
dauphin in that country, she found the French did not 
use a “w” in spelling but simply used a single “u.” 
She therefore wrote her name after the death of her 
husband and her return to Scotland, Stuart instead of 
Stewart as it is regularly spelled. Some families have 
adopted the French spelling (Stuart) while others 
prefer the general way of spelling it Stewart. 





6 


Surnames Reveal the History 


Surnames with Anglo-Saxon Origin. 


Surnames that end in bury, berry, borough, burg, 
burgh are simply forms of the ancient Anglo-Saxon 
word used for a town, city or village, hence, Salisbury 
is simply “the city of health;” Waterbury, “the water 
town” or “the town near the waters’ edge,” while 
Edinburgh is “Edwinstown.” It might be well to re¬ 
member that in Scotland burgh is always pro¬ 
nounced borough. Norbury is simply the north town, 
Sudbury the south town, and Edina, our little Missouri 
town, is simply the Latinized or poetical name for 
Edinburgh. Gough, meaning red, Glas, or Glass, 
meaning green, and Vaughan, meaning little, are 
also very common surnames, as well as the names 
Reed, Reid, Rudd, Ray, Roy, Roe, all meaning 
red. These names were derived from the color 
of the tartan and hose worn by these Scottish clans, 
as were also Douglas, meaning dark green. Dun, 
Dunn, Dunne meaning a dark slate or stone gray color! 
Surnames were first used in Rome, and from there they 
were established in France in the latter part of the 
10th century. They were introduced into England at 
the Norman conquest and recorded in Doomsday in 
October, 1066. They were not introduced into Wales 
for many years afterward, and even there, they are 
still somewhat uncertain. It is said that the royal 
family of Great Britain, as well as the Bourbons of 
France and Spain have really no surnames, from the 
fact, that they have never adopted one. King Edward, 




Surnames and Their Origin 


7 


the Seventh of Great Britain, might have adopted the 
name “Wettin” should he have chosen, from the fact, 
that that was his father’s surname, but his mother being 
a British queen never adopted it, and, hence, he took his 
titles and name from his mother and not from his 
father, because she was of the royal family, whereas he 
was not. King Edward belonged to a family called 
Guelph, meaning Wolf, which originated in the north¬ 
ern part of Italy, but he is of the German house of 
Hanover and Brunswick, descended from Sophia, a 
daughter of James I of Great Britain. 

The first sovereign of the Hanovarian succession 
was George I., who began reigning in August, 1714, on 
the death of Queen Anne. She was the last of the 
Stuarts, and James I. of Great Britain was the first of 
the Stuarts to sit on the English throne. He had 
formerly been James VI. of Scotland. The countries 
were united and were afterwards known as Great 
Britain. The union came about on the death of Queen 
Elizabeth in March, 1603. King James was the only 
child of Mary, Queen of Scots, the most beautiful and 
most unfortunate of women. She was beheaded by 
order of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, in 1585, aged 
43 years. She was executed at Peterborough, England. 




8 


Surnames and Their Origin 


German and Other Surnames in the 
United States. 

In this country, there are many surnames beginning 
with Van. These are known as Holland or Dutch sur¬ 
names, and are very numerous, especially in the states 
of New York and New Jersey, where can be found 
persons whose names are Van Allen, Van Buren and so 
on using every initial letter in the English alphabet to 
Van Zant. Others take the Belgian or Flemish form 
which is Van De or Van de, as Van de water, or Van 
De Water, Van de voort, Van de venter. Also Vander 
as Vanderbilt, etc. Many German surnames are found 
in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 
Maryland, Virginia, from the fact that the early settlers 
of these states were German and Swiss emigrants. The 
descendants of these early settlers have greatly changed 
or modified the spelling of their names, thus it is said 
that the name of Astor was formerly written Ashdoerr 
and Rittenhouse was formerly spelled Ruetenhaus. 

William Wirt, an eminent American author, was the 
son of a German named Worth. The English, Welsh, 
Scotch and Irish surnames are found in every state of 
the Union, thus one can plainly see where the fore¬ 
fathers of these people once lived in Europe. 

It is said that in Great Britain there are now not 
more than forty or fifty thousand surnames, and, hence, 
the great repetition of the same names. One would 
scarcely think that Roger, Robert and Richard should 
become the basis for forming such names as Hodge, 
Dodge, Dobbs and Hobbs are derived from Roger, and 





Other Surnames in the United States 


9 


I : j 

Hicks, Dicks, Higgs and Diggs and even Hitch should 
be derived from Richard, and that Dickens and Higgins 
should all be further derivatives of Richard, and that 
Robbins and Rupert are but variations of Robert. In 
Wales one often meets such surnames as Edwards, 
meaning “the truth keeper,” and Edmunds, meaning 
“one who guards his mouth from evil speaking. In 
short the Welsh people make a very free use of Chris¬ 
tian names by the addition of “s” to form a surname. 
It is said there are only about fifty-three Christian 
names for man and that thirty-two of these are directly 
derived from the Bible, hence, one often sees the name 
of Davis, meaning son of David; and Jenkins, meaning 
little John; Perkins, meaning little Peter; Tomkins, 
meaning little Tom; Malkin, meaning little Mary, etc. 

One finds some very peculiar Christian names 
given to the people of England during the days of the 
commonwealth, from 1649 to 1660. This is the time 
that Oliver Cromwell and his son were the protectors 
of the English people. This period is known as the 
interregnum. Charles I. was beheaded in January, 
1649, and Charles II. did not begin reigning until 1660. 
He died in 1685, after a reign of 36 years. So you see 
this time is counted back from his father’s execution 
in 1649. 

These names are found mostly among the Puritans: 
“Stand firm in the faith Judkins. If Christ had not 
died, thou hadst been damned Barebones (his sur¬ 
name”). Beside the female names were suggestive of 
the religious fervor of these people—Grace, Faith,Hope, 
Charity, Desire, Delight, Patience, and many others. 



10 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Oliver Cromwell was a Great Mixer. 


Probably no man in Great Britain was ever more 
active in spreading the names of the people of the 
British Islands over the world than was Oliver 
Cromwell, Protector of the English Commonwealth, 
during the years from 1649 to 1660. It has been said 
of him that he transported, exported, deported, and 
imported the people of that country at his own sweet 
will. He sent the English to the south of Ireland where 
the third generation of these people became more Irish 
than the native Irish themselves, the Scotch to the West 
Indies, as well as to Virginia and the Carolinas, hence, 
as has been said, no man did more for mixing up the 
people than did he. 

Scottish surnames have the following terminals: 
Craick, meaning a storm; Bogle, a goblin; Boak, to 
belch; Hunt, meaning to haunt; Rash, meaning an 
itching; Snell, meaning keen; Hope, meaning hops; 
Go wan, a daisy; Stott, a young ox; Watt, meaning wet; 
Snodgrass, a trimmed lawn; Spink, a prim rose; Collie, 
a sheep dog; Grossert, a gooseberry; Cay, Kay, a jack¬ 
daw; Garvie, a sprat, a fish; Brander, a gridiron; 
Meikle, big; Riggs, a ridge; Cowan, a smith; Souter. 
a shoemaker; Grieve, Grave, manager of a coal pit; 
Gilmour, a chief’s attendant; Yett, Yates, Gates, an en¬ 
trance to an enclosure. 



Other Surnames in the United States 


11 


Origin of British Surnames. 


British surnames are largely derived from Anglo- 
Saxon, Celtic, Norman-French, and Danish sources, 
thus Bal or Bally, meaning a town as Balbriggan, mean¬ 
ing Bridgetown. Ballybrophy, meaning Brophy’s town; 
Ballyvaughan, meaning little town. There are many 
Celtic names formed in this way v Names ending in 
tre, meaning a town; Ros, meaning a heath, hence, 
grass land. Pol, meaning a pool; Lam, a church; Caer, 
a castle; Pen, head land; Hurst, a wood; Den, a valley, 
Don, a hill, hence, the jingle: 

“By Tre, Ros, Pol, Lam, Caer, Pen, Den and Don, 
You may always know an Englishman ” 

There were few surnames in England before the 
Norman Conquest, 1066, although some appear in the 
old Saxon records. Many influences united to intro¬ 
duce these names. Many names that were once sig¬ 
nificant had lost their meaning and were only held in 
the memory of those who knew the persons. Many 
surnames appeared in Doomday, but it was not at first 
common to transmit the surname from father to son. 

Doomday was the name of a Norman French book 
that contained a record of all important transactions 
and affairs of the government after the conquest. 




12 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Simplified Spelling of Surnames. 


Many names are corrupted in their spelling and 
pronunciation. For instance words that originally 
ended in Quet have been changed to Kett, and Ville 
into field and well, as Boquet, to Buckett; Greenfield, 
to Greenville; Blomfield, to Blondeville; Summerfield, 
to Summerville, etc.; Rosseville, to Rosswell; Rooseville, 
to Roswell; Freshville, to Fretwell, etc. Many names 
have been intentionally changed in their spelling, in 
order to disguise their plebeian origin, as Smythe, 
Cutlar, Tayleure, Yonge, Broun, Browne, Fysshe, Foord, 
Willyams, Martyn, etc. 

It is said that Frank Leslie, the New York magazine 
publisher, was an Englishman named Joseph Carter. 
He was a cartoonist and made drawings that were sold 
and published in the United States. His father ob¬ 
jected to his name—-Joseph Carter—appearing on the 
drawings. He therefore simply used the name Frank 
Leslie in signing them. He removed afterwards to the 
United States and, finding the name Frank Leslie well 
and favorably known, he legally adopted it and thus 
dropped the name of Joseph Carter. 





Other Surnames in the United States 


13 


Corrupted Spellings. 


It is surprising how names are disguised and cor¬ 
rupted in their spelling. Dealchamber is derived from 
De la chambre; Brewhouse, from Braose; Golbran, 
from Cowbrain; Allwork, from Aldwark; Wilbraham, 
from Wilburgham; Wilberforce, from Wilburgfoss; 
Hoard, from Howard; Gurr, from Gower. Carew and 
Carey are but forms of the same name, so also are 
Wesley and Wellesley; Singen and Sinden are corrup¬ 
tions of St. John, and Fidgen a corruption of Fitz John; 
Ben Eaton is supposed to be a corruption of Benito, 
pronounced in the Spanish Beneeto. Pettigrew is a 
corruption of Pedigree; Breakspeare, Shakespeare, 
Hurlbat, Hurlbut, Winspeare, and Wagstaffe, are his¬ 
torical names from the ancient military days when 
“knighthood was in flower.” The spelling of these 
names are very uncertain. It is said that William 
Shakespeare, the bard of Avon, spelled his name in 
twenty-three different ways. Richard Breakspeare was 
the only English pope that ever presided over the 
Vatican. His pontifical name was Pope Adrian V. 

Besides these there are many changes by contrac¬ 
tions and additions, Gomery to Montgomery, Skidmore 
to Scudamore, Hayward, a keeper of cattle to Howard, 
which is thought to be more aristocratic. Many 
Jewish families have in ages past materially changed 
the form of their name, hence, Abraham is changed 




14 


Surnames and Their Origin 


to Braham; Moses to Moss and Mosley, Solomon to 
Salmon, Salo, and even Sloman; Jonas to Jones; Levi 
to Levy and Lewis; Barugh to Barrow, Elias to Ellis, 
Ellison, Eliotson, and Emanuel to Manuel. Other Jewish 
families have changed their name from what it was 
originally to the sign of their occupation, Rothschild 
meaning a red shield, was a name adopted by the family 
of Anselm Meyer of Germany. Schwartzschild, mean¬ 
ing a black shield; Goldschild, a gold shield; 
Silberschild, a silver shield; Kupferschild, a copper 
shield; and from their residence comes the name of 
Friedlander, peaceful dweller; Dantziger, a dweller in 
Dantzig; Hamburger, a dweller in Hamburg, and from 
Rosbrugge comes Rusbridge and Rusbridger. 

Kespohl, a cheese pole for pressing cheese. 

Lauterbach, a clear stream. 

Lauterbrumen, a clear fountain. 

Licht, Lichtenstein, a clear stone. 


In the United States the tendency is to simplify 
surnames. The Roosevelt surname has been changed 
in form and spelling. The pronunciation of this name 
is not clear to some persons. It should be pronounced 
as if it were written Rosyvelt. 

The late Prof. Louis Agassiz pronounced his nam 
as if written Agasee. 





Other Surnames in the United States 


15 


Changes in Pronunciation. 


During the flight of the many years since surnames 
were established among men a great many changes 
have taken place in the spelling and pronunciation of 
names, thus, the Scotch name Andrew Carnegie is 
commonly pronounced by those who are not acquainted 
with the correct pronunciation, as Karnegy, with the 
accent on Kar, the first syllable, whereas, in Scotland 
where the name is well known and in this country 
where he is personally known, he is called Karnagy 
with the accent on the Na, the second syllable, and his 
birthplace in Scotland is Dunfermline, prouounced 
Dunfermlin, with the accent on ferm, the second 
syllable. The Wisconsin statesman. La Follette, often 
has his name mispronounced by placing the accent on 
the last syllable. Speak the name as if it were printed 
La Follett, accent as in Hallett. The change of spelling 
and pronunciation of a name is a very common occur¬ 
rence in this country, as well as in Europe. 

The Scotch name Forbes is pronounced in this 
country as if written Forbs, but in Scotland it is pro- 
lounced in two syllables, as if written For-bess. 







Names from the Church and Army. 


The following surnames are very common in the 
United States being derived from offices in the Roman 
church: Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Bysshopp, Abbott, 
Prior, Pryor, Dean, Rector, Parsons, Vicar, Vickers, 
Priest, Deacon, Deakin, Clerk, Clark, Clarke, Chaplin, 
Caplin, Friar, Fryer, Freere, Frere (meaning a brother), 
Monk, Nunn, Saxton, Colet, Collett, Benet, Bennett, 
Noviss, Lister from the Anglo-Saxon one who read part 
of the Church services. Colet was an Acolyte. Benet 
was a sub-deason in the Roman Catholic Church. 
Bailey, Beadle, Botiler, Butler, Burgess, Chancellor, 
Chamberlain, Chamberlayne, Chalmers, a Scottish sur¬ 
name meaning a chamberlain, is pronounced 
Chawmers; Constable, Castellan, Champion, Campion, 
Councilman, Catchpole, Forester, Foster, Forster, 
Falconer, Falconar, Faulkner, Groome, Henchman, 
Legatt, Leggortt, Mayor, Lemaire the old French form. 
Meyer, the old German Anglo-Saxon form; Marshall, 
Provost, Provis, Page, Proctor, Porter, Portman, 
Ranger, Reeves, Steward, Stewart, Stuart, Sturt, Sheriff, 
Sargent, Sargeant Ussher, Warden, Woodroafe, 
Woodreeve, WoodrifF, Woodruff, Woodrough, Wood- 
row. Iforden is the steward of the household, 
Grosvenor was the chief huntsman, Bannerman was the 
chief standard bearer to the kings of Scotland, Smaller; 
has the same meaning. Foster is derived from one who 
had the care of children; Kemp, Kempe, Kempes 
Kemper, Camp, Champ, Camper, Campion, Champion 
all refer to the office of a soldier, hence a strong lust? 



Names from Church and Army 


17 


fellow. Kempenfelt runs into the German and Swedish. 
Bateman and Segar also refer to those who contend 
for supremacy, hence, also a soldier. Many Irish fami¬ 
lies have in the course of years changed the spelling 
of their names from the ancient Irish to the Norman 
French, translated them as it were, thus from O’Dorey 
to D’Arcy, O’Malley to DeMaillet pronounced in the 
French DeMally, O’Mulaville to Lavelle, O’Dulaine to 
Delany, also Dulaney. 

There seems to be a tendency to cut off the apos¬ 
trophe after O in many Irish names after the third or 
fourth generations from the old country and to write 
the second part of the name with a small letter, thus 
Odee instead of the Irish form O’Dee, Odell, Oneal, 
Odear, etc. While other persons bearing the sugges¬ 
tive Irish surnames omit the O’ entirely, thus Neill 
instead of O’Neill, Sullivan instead of O’Sullivan. 

The prefix Mac has also been removed by persons 
who are fond of a change. McCall becomes simply 
Call, McKay simply Kay, etc. 



18 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Modernizing Surnames. 


Many of these Irish families are now writing their 
names without an apostrophe as D’Alton is now Dalton, 
D’Arbly, now Darbly. Many Russian families add 
Witz, meaning son to their father’s name, thus 
Paulowitz meaning Paulson, Czarowitz meaning son of 
the czar, Caesar—the emperor, the same as the German 
Kaiser. The Polish families have the same means of 
designation, except that it is written sky or ski which 
means son of, as Petrowsky meaning the son of Peter. 
The Welsh designation for son is Ap, hence Rhys pro¬ 
nounced Rice, is Rhys Ap, Rhys which is contracted 
into Price meaning the son of Rhys. Modern Rice 
Roger Ap Roger becomes Prodger, son of Roger. 
Richard or Ap—Richard is Pritchard which means the 
same as Richardson. Two of the commonest names 
found in Wales are Jones and Morgan; Harris is also 
a very common name being derived from Harry. 

The Welsh people delight in placing Mab or Map 
the same as mac also becomes “ap” between their 
name and that of their father, hence, Howell ap Howell 
which means Howell son of Howell, or as we now find 
it Howell Powell, which means that Powell is a deriva¬ 
tive or son of Howell, and Bowen son of Owen. The 
Welsh are in the habit of using Christian names by 
simply adding “s” as Joan meaning John, they now 
write Jones meaning John’s son. Beside this they also 
use the modern Evan meaning John, therefore, Evans, 
also Bevans, and Jones mean the same thing. 




Names from Church and. Army 


19 


Names from their Sire. 


Many Scotch families as well as the ancient Irish 
use the father’s name in connection with their own. 
These are called Patronymics or Sirenames and are of 
Celtic or Gaelic origin the Irish being called Milesian, or 
Celtic, and the Highland Scotch the Gaelic. The Highland 
Scotch and the ancient Irish are really the same people, 
both having originated in Phoenicia, in the western 
part of Asia. The Irish are the older of the two peoples. 
There are three terminals that mark these Celtic and 
Gaelic names—Mac which means a son or male de¬ 
scendant, being the same as Nepos or Filius, in the 
Latin, meaning a son. O’ which signifies a grandson, 
and Ni which means descended from the daughter. If 
the name is descended from the father it is called a 
Patronymic, as McDonald, the new style of spelling the 
word, or Macdonald the more ancient form. If the 
name is descended from the grandfather it is called 
Papponymic, as O’Connell, meaning a descendant from 
the house of Connell through the grandson. And occa¬ 
sionally we find NiConnell, NiBrien, NiNaughton, called 
Matronymics, but these forms are rare, as descendants 
are seldom named from the daughters. 

The terminal AN also means one of the Irish fam¬ 
ilies as Conan, Cunnane, Doran, Egan, Flanagan, 
Goggan, Scoggan. 





20 


Surnames and Their Origin 


It is sometimes difficult to know whether a name is 
of Scotch or Irish origin, thus Macpherson, meaning a 
son of the parson, Macarthur, meaning a son of 
Arthur, and McIntyre, son of the carpenter, are all 
Highland Scotch surnames, whereas Macdonnell, son of 
Donnell, and Macarthy meaning a son of Arthur are 
both Irish forms of the name, as is also McShane, son 
of John. The following little jingle is somewhat 
amusing: 

“By Mac and 0, 

You’ll always know 
True Irishmen they say, 

But if they lack 
Both 0 and Mac, 

No Irishmen are they” 

Besides these designations it was quite common to 
place “The” before the head of the family as a mark 
of distinction as “The” Conor and also the word 
“More” meaning great and other words that described 
the peculiar complexion or color of the person, as 
O’Connor, (Connor is spelled with either one n or two 
at the pleasure of the person whose name it is.) 
O’Connor Roe meaning the red haired Connor, whereas 
the Scotch in speaking of Robert McGregor always 
called him Rob Roy meaning red headed P ffiert. 
O’Connor Don meaning the brown haired. McCarthy 
More meaning the great McCarthy. McCarthy Reagh 
meaning the swarthy McCarthy. It is immaterial 
whether we write Mac or Me or evenM’. The ancient 
form is Mac; the modern Me or M’. The Duke of Argyll’s 



Names from Church and Army 


21 


private name is Campbell often contracted into Kemble 
or Kimball by English speaking people who have 
adopted this name. The Duke’s Gaelic name is 
McCallum More meaning the great McCallum, that is 
the head of the clan. 

The Celtic or Irish Clan Cassidy bore a conspicuous 
part in resisting the early English invaders in the West 
of Ireland. The leader or head of the clan was known 
as The Cassidy and one of the early Irish historians 
speaks of him much as Shakespeare does in describing 
Cardinal Wolsley: “He was sweet as a summer breeze 
to those who loved him; but lofty and sour to those 
who loved him not.” The English wrote over the Gates 
of Galway: “From the Ferocious Cassidys Good Lord 
deliver us,” thus showing the influence of a name even 
among friends as well as foes. 

There is also an Anglo-Saxon or ancient English form 
of showing surnames derived from the father’s name. 
These words usually have the terminals ing, urge or 
inger added to the principal word and always carrying 
with it the meaning of “offspring” or progeny, as from 
Deere we get Deering; Dunn, Dunning; Marn, Marning; 
Chann, Channing; Fann, Fanning; Field, Fielding; 
Barr, Barring, Barringer; Jennings meaning little John; 
Mall, Mallinge; Meech, Meechinge*^ Henry Fielding, the 
English novelist, was once asked by a man who wrote 
his name Feilding why they did not write their names 
alike; he answered, “Our branch of the family was the 
first to learn how to spell correctly.” 



22 


Surnames and Their Origin 


The following jingle will enable the reader to get 
the run of English surnames: 

“In Ford, in Ham, in Ley and Ton, 

The most of English surnames run. 

In lng, Hurst, Wood, Wick, Sted and Field 
Full many English surnames yield. 

With Thorpe and Bourne, Cote, Caster, Oke, 

Combe, Bury, Don, and Stowe, and Stoke, 

With Ey and Port, Shaw, Worth, and Wade, 

Hill, Gate, Well, Stone are many made; 

Cliff, Marsh, and Mouth, and Down, and Sand, 

And Beck and Sea with numbers stand.” 

It is rather peculiar that some English and other 
British surnames are properly pronounced and other 
names apparently of the same class are mispronounced, 
for instance Burnham meaning a dweller on the brook- 
side is correctly pronounced as if it were written 
Burnum. This name is generally properly pronounced 
by every one, as are also Brigham (Brigum), Pinkham 
(Pinkum). Tatham is pronounced and often written 
Tatum. But Birmingham is not always pronounced 
as Birming-um, as it should be pronounced. The same 
is true of Cunningham (Cunningum), and many others. 
This terminal ham means a home or dwelling and 
should be pronounced as if written um. 



Other Sources of Surnames. 


Surnames derived from localities in Great Britain 
and Germany are very common, being derived from 
the Celtic, Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon. We have names 
ending in Glyn, Glynde, Comb, Combe meaning a deep 
valley or glen, Gill meaning a pebbly stream running 
through the glen, Coburn meaning a fortified hill and 
the Anglo-Saxon Chester meaning a town; also Ton or 
Tun meaning an enclosed field, or town as well, as 
Ley, or Leye, Legh, Leigh meaning a field or meadow; 
also Battel meaning war and Litch meaning a battle¬ 
field so named from the dead bodies found upon it. 
Thorp, Thorpe, Dorf all meaning a village, Hurst mean¬ 
ing a woods, thus, Clayton meaning a Claytown, 
Leighton the meadowtown, Bradley the broad meadow, 
Bradford the broad ford, Stanley the stony field, Hors¬ 
ley or Hurstley meaning the wooded field, Parkhurst the 
park woods, Broadhurst also Bradshaw the broad 
woods, Aldthorpe or alt-dorf the old village, Newthorpe 
and Neudorf meaning the new village; also the termina¬ 
tion Ham meaning a home or residence, and Burn, 
Scotch, meaning a stream or brook, Becket also mean¬ 
ing a stream, Bourne meaning a river, and Strom, the 
German and Scandinavian also meaning a stream, 
Gate, Gates and Yates meaning an entrance to an en¬ 
closure, Shaw meaning a thickly set underbrush and 
Shiel meaning a temporary habitation, Slade meaning 



24 


Surnames and Their Origin 


a ravine, the same as comb, Slack has the same signifi¬ 
cance, Den is also a deep valley, Don meaning a 
hill, Langdon the long hill, Garth meaning an 
orchard and sometimes a churchyard, Ross meaning 
a mountain side, Weller meaning a hollow place or 
gulf, Worth and its corrupted form, With means a 
fortified place, Thwaite is a small river, Clough is a 
wooded valley near the roadside, Clowes a rock, Fleet 
is the mouth of the river, Hithe is a harbor, Gool is a 
canal, Sike is a waterfall and Holm is an expansive 
body of water, Firth or Frith is the mouth of a river; 
Loch, Lough, Lock, Lock meaning a lake or pond some¬ 
times formed by a dam, Lowe meaning a small round 
topped hill; Lynn, Linn meaning a pool of water, 
Lynch meaning a strip of wooded land between plowed 
fields; Mill, Mille, Miln, Milne, Mulle, Mullen, and from 
the French comes Des Moulins meaning a place where 
grain is ground, a mill. Back, Bach, Beck each meaning 
a brook or stream of water; Cot, Cott, Cote meaning an 
humble dwelling, a cottage. Stan and Stein meaning 
stone. 

Baine, Baynes a bath, Barrack a military house; 
Bank, Banks meaning a bench; Barn, Barnes meaning 
a badly constructed house, Barrow a wood covered 
hill; Beacon, Becon a fire cage at the top of a pole for 
displaying a light at night, Bellchamber a church 
tower; Bearne and Boys are other names for a forester; 
Borstall means a winding road up a hill side; Born is 
another spelling for Burn or Bourne meaning a stream 
of water, a brook. 



Other Sources of Surnames 


25 


Agnes Bums and the Monument. 


Robert Burns, the Scotch poet, was a son of William 
Burness and Agnes Brown. You will notice the father 
spelled his name differently from his son. A hundred 
and fifty years ago the spelling of surnames was very 
unsettled. Robert Burns’s mother was present at the 
dedication of her son’s monument, when an old friend 
said to her: “Agnees Burns, you must be a proud 
woman to have these honors bestowed upon your son.” 
“Proud, did ye say, I would rather have my Rab among 
the livin’ than a thousand such monuments, for when 
he was livin’ they wud na gie him brede but now that 
he is dede they gie him a stane,” pointing to the monu¬ 
ment. 

Robert Burns during his last illness told his wife 
that in a hundred years hence his poetry would be 
much more popular than it was then, and that his 
name would be more honored and respected. This 
prophecy has certainly come true. Robert Burns is 
now classed as Shakespeare is classed—a poet of the 
world. He died July 21, 1796, in the 37th year of 
his age. 




26 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Names of Scandinavian Origin. 


Borough, Burg, Burk, Burke, Burrows, Brough, 
Burgh and Bury all refer to the same thing, a town. By 
and Bee are from the Danish and have the same mean¬ 
ing, hence, a village or habitation; Bush, Furze and 
Furns mean the home of one who lived in the brush 
or low thick woods, a thicket; Camp is a lodging place; 
Carr means a stony piece of land; Carne, Cairn, a heap 
of stones, being a Druidical monument, also a cave 
dweller near the mouth of a cavern; Castell, Castle, 
Chatto, a disguised spelling of Chateau all meaning a 
castle; Channtrey, Chapel, Chappie, Kirk, Kirhe, 
Kirche all refer to a church. Cooke, Coke, Cox, Koch 
are verious forms of the word cook; Co;urt, Clow, 
are various forms of the word cook; Clow, Clowes, an 
Anglo-Saxon word meaning a rock, also a flood-gate; 
Cobb meaning a harbor; Cap, Copp the summit of a 
hill; Cote, Cotes, a cottage and also a saltpit; Court is 
the chief house of a village. Cove meaning a harbor; 
Covert meaning a thick set forest. Cowdray, a grove 
of hazel trees; Cottrel or Cottrell, a cottager, also a 
pot-hook used in a fire place. Craig, Cragg meaning a 
creek; Craik, to storm; Craft, Croft, a small field. Craf- 
ton, Crofter, a field dweller; Cross a dweller at the 
cross-roads. Crouch is another for Cross. These crosses 
or guideposts placed throughout Great Britain served for 
a double purpose, of reminding the traveller of spiritual 
things as well as of neighborhood locations; Dale, Dell, 





Other Sources of Surnames 


27 


Den are variations meaning a dingle, vale, glade, or 
brushy covert. Derne, a lonely place. Dyke, an em¬ 
bankment. Dun, Don, Donne meaning a dark marshy 
place. Ey, Eye, Ig, damp or wet place, also an island; 
Eruth, Rith, shallow water, a ford; Fell, Felis, a stony 
elevated field or low hills; Fenn, a marsh; Femes, a 
wilderness; Fleet, a creek affected by the tide; Forest, 
heavy woods. 

The following names have practically the same 
meaning in the different European languages, so one 
can easily know the country from which the fathers 
of Americans bearing the names emigrated: 

Holz in the German means wood. 

Bois in the French means wood. 

Bose, another form of French spelling for the 
same word. 

Boscoe, an old English spelling for wood. 

Boscow, another English spelling for the same 
word. 

Boscobel means the beautiful wood or Forest Park 
in England, so much admired by King Charles II., 
known as the merry monarch, so-called on account of 
his pleasant manners; yet he was very unreliable in his 
promises. 


i 



28 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Anglo-Saxon Forms. 


In Holland the word is written Van Voorst. Forth 
is the same as ford, a passageway over a stream. Font, 
Fountain, a spring of water. Foss, Fossey, a ditch. 
Foot, Foote, a dweller at the bottom of the hill. Fryth 
and Fells, the same as hill and dale. Furlong, a fur¬ 
row’s length in plowing. Fletcher, an arrow head 
maker. Fabre, Faber, Faur, Febre, Febure, Faibure, 
Lefevre, all meaning a workman, the same as 
smith. Garden-Child, a foundling. Garth, a fruit 
garden; Garrett, a granary. Gate, a public road; 
Giles, a companion; Gill, a pebbly stream, also a 
servant. Glyne, a glen; Goole, a canal. Gore, a strip of 
land. Graves, the same as Groves, a forest of thickly set 
trees. Gravett, a little grove. Gurnall, the same as 
Garnett, a granary. Hall, a large house; Halliwell, a holy 
well; Ham, Iiame, meaning a dwelling, a home, the same 
as field or craft and croft. Harbor, Haven, Hagen, an 
entrance to a port. Hatch, a flood-gate to a stream 
or an entrance to a forest. Haugh, Hawes, Howes, a 
green river valley. Hay, Hayes, a hedge enclosing a 
small park. Hedge, Hedges, an enclosed land. Heath, 
grass land. Herne, Hearn, a house. Hythe, Hyde, a 
harbor or a wharf. Hide, a field, as much as can be 
cultivated with one plow. Hill, Hull, Nill, Knill, all 
referring to an elevation of land. Holme, Holmes, a 
grassy island. 





Other Sources of Surnames 


29 


Other British Surnames. 


Holt, Nolt, a wooded hill, a small forest especially 
near a dwelling or home. Hold, Holden, a homestead. 
Hope, a valley, a mountain dingle. Hoo, Hoe, How, 
Howe, a hill. House, Haus, a dwelling. This word has 
many variations depending upon the kind of building 
that it is, as Stonnus, a stone house; Woodus, a wood 
house; Duffus, a dove house; Malthus, a malt house; 
Hoppus, a hop house; Aldus, Aldis, Althaus, an old 
house; Windus, a wind house, a wind mill; Loftus, a 
loft house; Backhouse, a bake house, a bakery. 

Hole, means at the foot of a hill. Hooke, Howke, 
Tooke, a special location where firewood might be 
taken without punishment, that is by hook or crook, 
referring to the Shepherd’s crook and Christian’s cross, 
hence a privileged person. Holloway, a road leading 
through a hollow place, a low valley. Holyoak, the 
sacred oaks of England under which the ancient Druids 
worshipped. Spital, Spittle, Ashpital, Spittelhouse, are 
all contractions of the word Hospital. 

Hunt, a chase, a preserve for game of all kinds. 
Hearn, Hurne, Horne, Horner, all meaning a corner of 
a house. Ing, a meadow near a river. Inch, Ince, Isle, 
Del, Isle are various words used to indicate an Island. 
Kay, Key, Quay, meaning a wharf or dock. Kirk, Kil, 
meaning a church. Knap, Knapp, Knoll, Knowles, 
Knollys, pronounced Noles, all mean the top of a hill. 
Law, is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning a hill. Lade, 




30 


Surnames and Their Origin 


meaning a water drain. Lath, Lathe, meaning a barn. 
Land, Launds, Lowndes, a lawn, lee, legh, lea, leigh. 
Lye, Ley, Lie, all refer to grassy lands, a meadow. 
Orme, means an elm tree. Lodge, a residence. Lock, 
Locke, Loch, Lough, a lake. Lowe, Loope, a round 
topped hill covered with a grove. Linn, Lynn, a pool 
of water. Lorimer, a bridle bit maker. Lynch, Link, 
sod land between plowed fields. March, a boundary. 
Mead, Mees, Meadows, all refer to grass land. Meer, 
Meere, Meeres, a lake or shallow water. Mill, Milne, 
Millan, Mulne, are various forms of the word mill. 
Minster, a monk’s house, a monastery. Mouth, a haven, 
a harbor, pronounced muth. Moss, marshy lands. 

Park, Parke, Parkes, Parker, Park, from the Anglo- 
Saxon, German, Celtic and Low Latin, means an en¬ 
closure used for recreation, and for the support of 
deer; also an encampment for artillery. Park of pro¬ 
visions means a place where sutlers keep their supplies; 
Parker, a care-taker of a park. Penn, also Don, the top 
of a hill. Pende, an arch over a roadway, a viaduct. 
Peak, Peake, the same as beek or pike, the pointed top 
of a hill. Pitt, Pitts, Pyt, a puddle, a well, a deep cavity. 
Pinnock, Pennock, a culvert or a low bridge. Pinfold or 
Penfold, a stockade for impounding cattle. Plain, 
Plaine, a flat country. Plott, Platt, another name for a 
field. Plaice, a flat fish. Peel, Pell, Pill, a pool or moat, 
that is a ditch filled with water to serve as a means 
of protection from attack. Pollard, topped or cropped 
trees. Pool, Poole, Pole, a small lake or pond, also 
a term used applied to a chicken from the French 
Poiile which means poultry. Poling, a truss used for a 



Other Sources of Surnames 


31 


support for the arch of a tunnel. Pont, Ponte, Pontius, 
Ponto, are various spellings for the word bridge. 
Playsted, Playstow, play grounds for athletic sports. 
Prindle and Pringle, other names for croft, a small 
field. 

Quarry, Quarel, Quaril, a square headed arrow used 
by archers. Rayn, Raynes, a limit or boundary. 
Reynolds is another name for a fox. Rick, Rix, Rigg, 
Trigg, same as ridge. Rill, Trill, a rivulet. Rock, 
Roche, Roach, meaning stone. Rodes, Roades, the same 
as road. Rode, Rodd, Royd, opening in a forest. Raw, 
Rawes, Rowe, a street. Ross, Rhos, means boggy land, 
also a headland. Rye, also Try, a bank or shore of a 
stream, also a creek. See Robbie Burns’s poem “Coming 
Through the Rye.” Sale, Sales, a wicker basket, also 
a hall. Sartor, Sartorius, meaning a tailor. Shaw means 
underbrush. Shallow, a ford. Shank, a projecting 
hill. Shiel, a shepherd’s cottage. Shore, Sewer, the 
seaside. Sike, Sikes, a waterfall. Skell, a well of 
water. Slade, Slack, Slonk, a glade, a valley. Spence, 
a yard or enclosure. Steele, a place. Strand, Strood, 
Stroud, the seashore, or bank of a river. Street, Strade, 
Straid, Stratus, Strasse, to make smooth or level; hence 
a public thoroughfare. 

Stead or Stede, a farm house. Stille, Styles, Stigen, 
Steiger, Steige, Stige, steps leading over an enclosure. 
Stock, Zouch, Curzon (accented on last syllable), the 
trunk of a tree. Stoke, Stokes, Stowe, a place, a loca¬ 
tion. Stone, Steane, Stein, meaning a rock. 




32 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Temple, Tempel, the instruction house of a knight. 
Turn, Dern, a pool of water. Thorn, Thurn, a tree or 
a tower. Thwaite, a moist pasture. Toll, a grove of 
lofty trees. Torr, a tower or crag. Towar, Towars, 
a rope-maker. Tourelle, a turret, a little tower. 
Twitten, Twytene, an alley. Vennell, Venella, a closed 
alley same as Cul-de-sac. Venable, Venables, a vine¬ 
yard. Wade, a meadow. Wall, Vail, Val, Valla, Vallum, 
Wilam, a fortification, a defense, a protection. Wake, 
Werke, a building, a house. Warren, a burrow for 
rabbits, a well known Norman French name found 
among the Irish people. Weir, Wear, a dam near a 
mill for catching fish. Weller, a hollow place, a de¬ 
clivity. Wick, Wicks, Wix and Weiler, a village on a 
bayside. Wyche, a salt spring. 

Bad in German is called bath in English. 

The plural of Bad is Baden. 

Neubad is German for new bath. 

Carlsbad is German for Charles’s bath. 

The mineral springs are sometimes called a Spa 
pronounced Spah or Spaw. 






Other Sources of Surnames 


33 


Other British Surnames of Anglo- 
Saxon Origin. 


The following British surnames are very common in 
the United States: Alfriston, Arlington, Arundel, 
Ashburnham, Battle, Bath, Battersea, Bedford, Bexle, 
Bristowe, Bristol, Buckingham, Brede, Balcombe, 
Barwicke, Barnham, Bolney, Beckley, Buxted, Burwash, 
Chichester, Carlisle, Chelsea, Coventry, Compton, 
Coombs, Chailey, Crowhurst, Clayton, Dartmouth, 
Denton, Deans, Dicker, Ditchling, Dallington, Ecking- 
ton, Ernley, Echingham, Frile, Folkington, Glynde, 
Goring, Grimstead, Guestling, Grantham, Grimsby, 
Hailsham, Heathfield, Hartfield, Hurst, Hellingly, Hoo, 
Hertford, Hastings, Hampton, Huntingdon, Halifax, 
Hull, Iden, Icklesham, Ifield, Itchingfield, Jevington, 
Kingston, Lindfield, Lulham, Lewes, Lincoln, Lester, 
Lancaster, Lowdon, London, Mayfield, Madehurst, 
Mailing, Meeching, Nutley, Newcomb, Nytimber, Ore, 
Orr, Oxenbridge, Oxford, Preston, Patchen, Penhurst, 
Poynings, Pevensey, Patcham, Preston, Portsmouth, 
Pool, Poole, Radmell, Rochester, Rugby, Stanner, 
Sedlescombs, Sutton, Stedham, Shoreham, Seaford, 
Ticehorst, Trotton, Vinehall, Waldron, Wistonneston, 
Washington, Wathington, Wadhurst, Wesley, Wellesley, 
Willingdon, Winchester, Warwick, Wells, Winchelsea, 
Yorke. 





British and American Surnames. 


The following are a few of the many British and 
American surnames which are derived from Christian 
names, some from the Norman French and some from 
the Anglo-Saxon, and others from the Celtic or Gaelic. 
From Adam we get Adams, Adamson, Ade, Adye, Adey, 
Addis, Addv, Addison, Adcock, Addiscot, Addiscock, 
Adkins and Addecott. From Abraham we get Abrahams, 
Abramson, Mabbs, Mabb and Mabbot. From Arthur 
we get Atts, Atty, Atkins, Atkinson, Atcock, Aitkins and 
Aikin. From Andrew we get Andrews, Anderson, 
Henderson. From Aldred we get Alderson. From 
Alexander we get Sanders, Sanderson, Sandercock, 
Allix, Aiken, Alley. From Ainulph we get Haynes, 
Hainson. From Allan we get Allanson, Hallet, Elkins, 
Elkinson. From Anthony we get Tony, Tonson, Tonkin. 
From Agatha we get Agg. From Alice we get Alee, 
Allis and Alison. From Agnes we get Annis. From 
Benjamin we get Benn, Benson, Bancock and Banna- 
cock. From Baldwin we get Ball, Bawcock, Baldey, 
Baldock, Balderson, Bawson. From Bartholomew we 
get Batts, Bates, Batson, Bartlett, Batcock, Babcock, 
Batty, Batkin. From Bernard we get Bernards, 
Bernardson, Brenet, Barnard, Barnett, Barneville, 
Berners. From Barbara we get Babb. From Christo¬ 
pher (the Christ bearer) we get Christopherson, Kister, 
Kitts, Kitson. From Cuthbert we get Cuthertson, 
Cutts. From Clapps, a Saxon name, we get Clapp, 



British and American Surnames 


35 


Clapps, Clapson. From Crispin, a friend of the shoe¬ 
maker, we get Crispe, Cripps. From Clement we get 
Clements, Climpson. From Charles we get Kell, Kelson, 
Kelley. From Digory we get Digg, Digges, Diggins, 
Digginson, Tegg. From Drogo we get Drew, Dray, 
Drayson, Drocock. From Doda, as absolute Saxon 
name, we get Dodd, Dodson. From Donald we get 
Donaldson, Donkin. From Denis we get Dennison, 
Tennison. From Daniel we get Dann, Daniels, Tancock. 
From Dunstan we get Dunn. From David we get Davey, 
Daffy, Davison, Davis, Dawes, Dawkins, Dawkinson, 
Dawson, Davidge. From Edward we get Edwards, 
Ethards, Edes, Edkins, Edwardson, Tedd. From Elias 
we get Ellis, Ellison, Elliott, Ellitson, Elson, Elley, 
Ellet, Lelliot. From Edmund we get Edmunds, 
Edmunson, Munn, Monson. From Eustace we get Stace, 
Stacekyn. From Francis we get Frank, Frankes, 
Franklin (the freeman.) From Fergus we get Ferguson. 
From Gideon we get Gyde, Giddy, Giddings, Giddies, 
Geddes. From Gilbert we get Gill, Gillott, Gilpin, Gibb, 
Gibbs, Gibbon, Gibbons, Gibson, Gubbins, Gibbins, 
Gipp, Gipps. From Giles ( a companion) we get Gillies, 
Gilkes, Gilkinson. From Gregory we get Gregg, 
Gregson, Grocock, Gregorson, Griggs. From Godard 
or Godfrey we get Godfray, Geoffroy, Godfrid, Godkin, 
Goddin, Goad. From Geoffrey we get Jefferson, Jeffson, 
Jepson, Jeffcock, Jeffries, Jifkins. From Henry we 
get Henrison, Harry, Harris, Herries, Harrison, Hal, 
Halket, Hawes, Halse, Hawkins Hawkinson, Halkins, 
Allkins, Haskins, Alcock, Hall. From Hugh we get 
Hewson, Hugget, Huggins, Hugginson, Hewet. From 



36 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Joseph we get Joskyn, Juggins. From John we get 
Johns, Jones, Johnson, Johncock, Jansen, Jennings, 
Jenks, Jenkins, Jenkinson, Jack, Jackson, Juxon, 
Hanson, Hancock, Hanks, Hankinson, Jockins. From 
Jean, the Norman French form of John, we have 
Jeanet, Jeanin, Jennet, Jeanot, Jehan, Johan, Jonhan, 
Jonan, Hannes. From Jude we get Judd, Judkin, 
Judson. From Jacob we get Jacobs, Jacobson, Jeakes. 
From Job we get Jubb, Jobson. Fram James we get 
Jamieson. From Jacques, meaning James (pronounced 
by many English people Jakes), we have Jacquot, 
Jacquin, Jacquet, Jacquart, Jacquemin, Jacqueminot, 
Jamin, Jamart, Jametel, Jamot. From Jersey we get 
Jerrison, Gerison, Jerkin, Ion or Ian, another form 
for John. From Isaac we get Isaacs, Isaacson, Izaak, 
Hyke, Hicks, Hixon, Higson, Hickot, Hiscock, Hicox. 
From Katherine we get Kates. From Lawrence we 
get Larry, Larkins, Lewes, Lawson, Lawrie. From 
Luke we get Luckins, Luckock, Lucock, Locock, Lukin, 
Luckin, Luckings, Luckett. From Martin we get 
Martinus and Martini. From Luther we get Lutherius. 
It is said when John Huss of Bohemia was burned at 
the stake for his religious belief, he said: “You are 
today burning a goose but in a hundred years hence 
a swan will rise from the ashes.” Referring to himself 
as a goose and to Luther as a swan, hence in the 
Bohemian huss is the same as the German gans, mean¬ 
ing a goose and Luther a swan. Luther’s religious 
associate is known to the world as Melanchthon mean¬ 
ing black earth, but his true German name was 
Schwartzerd which has the same meaning as the Greek 



British and American Surnames 


37 


word Melanchthon. The custom of translating surnames 
was very common in those days. 

Linnaeus, the great Swedish naturalist, who divided 
nature into three general kingdoms, the mineral, the 
vegetable, and the animal, was the son of a peasant and 
like all Swedish peasants of his day, he had no sur¬ 
name, or last name as many call it. The father, how¬ 
ever, by dint of industry succeeded in becoming the 
pastor of his little village church, and by reason of 
this had the right to assume a surname, which he did 
by calling himself Linne, pronounced Linny. He was 
known as Nils Linne, or as we would call it in English, 
Nicholas Linden. 

He took his surname from a large linden tree that 
stood near his home. When his distinguished son 
Charles, or as they called him in the Swedish, Carl 
Linne, became professor of botany in the Swedish 
University of Upsal, he adopted the Latinized form of 
the linden or basswood tree, and was known to the 
world as Linnaeus, and in after years when he was 
made a nobleman by the king of Spain, he was called 
Count VonLinne, that is, the count of the Linden tree. 

There is a beautiful piece of statuary in Lincoln 
Park, Chicago, that is marked on the base, Carl Linne. 
Two hundred years ago, it was quite the fashion for 
Europeans to have two surnames, their second sur¬ 
name being the Latinized form of their first surname. 
For instance, from the German Lutz we find the Latin¬ 
ized form Lutzius, from Sartor, meaning a tailor, which 
is the private name of Pope Pius X, of Rome, we get 




38 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Sartorius; from Pastor, Pastorius; Stifel, the celebrated 
mathematician of the 16th century, the one who intro¬ 
duced the symbol of evolution, generally wrote his 
name in a professional way, Stifelius,. the Latinized 
form of his name. 

From Matthew we get Matthews, Matheson, Matson, 
Madison, Mathey, Matty, and from the Norman French 
form of Matthew we get Macey, Mahey, Mattley, 
Mayhew, Massie, Massy, Maddy. - From Maurice we 
get Morrison, Mockett, Moxon. From Mark we get 
Markcock, Marks. From Margaret we get Marjory, 
Margerson, Margetts, Margetson, Margison, Maggs, 
Magson. From Mary we get Moll, Malkin, Makins, 
Makinson, Molson, Maycock. And from the Norman 
French we get Marie, Marian, Marion, Mariette, Mariolle. 
From Nicholas we get Nichol, Nicolet, Nicholls, 
Nicholson, Nickson, Nixon, Cole, Colet, Colson, Collins, 
Collison, Glascock, Glasson, From Neal we get Nigell, 
Neale, Neilson, Nelkins. From Nathanial we get 
Natkins. Nib and lb are French nursery names for Isa¬ 
bel, whence Nibbs, Niblett, Ibson, Ibbotson. From Oliver 
we get Oliver, Oliverson, Olley, Nolls, Nolley, Nollekins. 
From Peter we get Peterson, Pierce, Pearce, Pierson, 
Perkin, Perkins, Purkiss, Perk, Parkins, Parkinson, 
Peters, Parr, Porson, Parson. From Pierre, Norman 
French meaning Peter, we get Perrin, Pieret, Pierrot, 
Pierrolin or Perrolin, Pierrelin. From Philip we get 
Phillips, Philps, Phelps, Phipson, Phipp, Phipps, 
Phippen, Philpot, Phillot, Philcox, Philippo, Phillopson, 
Philipson. From Paul we get Paulett, Pawson, Porson, 
Pocock, Palcock, Palk, Pollock, Polk. Powell is 



British and American Surnames 


39 


another form of Paul. From Patrick we get Patrickson, 
Paterson, Patson, Pattison. From Ralph We get 
Rawes, Rawson, Rawlins, Rawlinson, Rason, Roaf and 
Rolph. From Randolph we get Randalls, Rankin, 
Ranecock. From Rhys (Welsh, Ap Rhys) Price, 
Apreece, Preece, Brice. From Richard we get Richards, 
Richardson, Ritchie, Rickards, Hitchins, Hitchinson, 
Hitchcock, Dick, Dickson, Dixon, Dickens, Dickinson, 
Dickerson. From Robert we get Robbins, Robinson, 
Roberts, Robertson, Robison, Robson, Roby, Dobbs, 
Dobbie, Dobson, Dobbin, Dobbins, Dobinson, Hoby, 
Hobbs, Hobson, Hobkins, Hopkins. From Roger we get 
Rogers, Rogerson, Rodgers, Hodges, Hodgson, Hodgkin, 
Hodgkinson, Hoskin, Hodd, Hodson, Hudson. From 
Reynold we get Reynolds, Reynoldson, Raincock. From 
Samuel we get Samson, Samkin. From Sweyne we get 
Swaine, Swainson, Swinson, Swinton. From Simon we 
get Simonds, Simpson, Simmes, Synnes, Sincock, Simp- 
kin, Simplinson. From Stephen we get Stephens, Steph¬ 
enson, Stevens, Stercock, Steen, Steenson, Stimson, 
Stinson, Stiff, Stebbing, Stubbs, Tiffany. From Silas or 
Silvester, we get Silcock. From Timothy we get Tim, 
Timms, Timmings, Timpson, Timkins. From Thomas we 
get Thom, Tom, Thoms, Thompson, Thomson, Thomlin, 
Thomlinson, Tompkins, Tampkins, Thompsett, Thomp- 
kisson, Tamsett. From Tobit we get Toby, Towes, 
Towson, Tobin, Tubbe, Tubbes. From Turchetil we 
get Turke. From Theobald we get Tibbald, Tipple, 
Tipkins. From Walter we get Walters, Watt, Watts, 
Watson, Watkins, Watkinson, Watcock. From William 
we get Williams, Williamson, Wills, Wilks, Wilkins, 



40 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickerson, Bill, Bilson, Wilson, 
Woolcock, Woolcot, * Wilcocke and Wilcox, Wilcock- 
son, Wilcoxen, Willet, Willmot, Willy, Willis, Wylie, 
Willcot, Till, Tillot, Tilson, Tillotson, Tilly and 
Guilliam, ancient spelling of William. 

* Names that end in Cock, Cocke, Cocks, Cox, are 
much used for terminals of Christian names to form 
surnames. Usage is much divided as to the meaning of 
these words; some contend that it means a male bird, 
others a cook, while still others think that it means a 
diminutive form of the word the same as ing, ling, kin, 
let, lett. 

Hahn, meaning a cock, is also becoming a very 
common name among Americans descended from the 
Germans. The name Wetterhahn, meaning a vane or 
weather-cock, is also often met with in many com¬ 
munities. 



British and American Surnames 


41 


Patronymics. 


The Scotch and Irish families have surnames that 
are called “patronymics,” meaning the father’s name. 
Take for instance Donnell meaning “the black chief,” 
so called from the color of his armor. His son would 
be called McDonnell, and his grandson O’Donnell, 
hence, Mac in those Gaelic names means the son of, 
and “O” with an apostrophe means the grandson or 
descendant of, hence, McNeill means Neilson, and 
O’Neill means the descendant of Neill or Nale as the 
Irish pronounce it, meaning the strong man. Soon 
after the year 1705 began what was called the Augustan 
Age of English Literature. This was during Queen 
Anne’s time. The spelling of names during her time 
was nearly all recast. Up to this time, Smith, meaning 
a workman, was written Smyth or Smythe; Greene, 
Whyte., etc., Taylor meaning the occupation of making 
men’s clothes was written as indicated. Afterwards the 
occupation was changed to Tailor, Nailor, etc., but the 
surnames remain the same, hence, Foot the surname 
is written Foote. 

Many names, especially in Ireland, were given by 
the officers of the English government in order to 
simplify the names in the parish registers in the 
churches. 




42 


Surnames and Their Origin 


The Source of the Irish “Fitz”. 


The Norman French Fitz, meaning a son, is a very 
common prefix in British and American names, hence, 
one often sees the name of Fitzsimmons, meaning the 
son of Simon; Fitzhugh, meaning Houston; Fitzpatrick, 
meaning the son of Patrick, the nobleman, etc. Ing 
is also a very common terminal, meaning little or the 
grandchild or descendant of, hence, Browning, grand¬ 
son of Brown or descendant of Brown; Whiting, the 
descendant of White, etc. Also the terminal “ot” and 
“et” are very common, hence, Eliot, meaning the 
children or descendants of Elias; also written Elliott 
as spelled among the Irish people. Emmet is but 
another way of stating that he was descended from 
Emma, the daughter of one of the nobles or of the 
nobility of Ireland. The terminal “ster” is very 
common among those of Anglo-Saxon origin, hence, 
Webster, a female weaver; Baxster, a female baker; 
Brewster, a female brewer, and the like; in short, a 
fair knowledge of surnames gives one a very extended 
opportunity of reading the true history of our people 
and their migrations over the world. 

It should be remembered that Robert Emmet, the 
Irish patriot for whom so many American persons are 
given his surname for their Christian name, also wrote 
his name with one “t.” It was Dan Emmett, the song 
and dance man, that wrote his name with two “t’s.” 




British and American Surnames 


43 


The Influence of Being Acquainted with 
Your Family Name. 


One is frequently asked, “How is it possible that 
the nationality of a man may be known from his 
name?” Therefore I have endeavored in this article 
to show a few of the many ways of finding this out. 
When a young fellow is a little listless and inattentive 
to work, if his name were Wright, I should simply tell 
him that his forefathers were industrious fellows, that 
they were workmen—makers of something—as 
Wheelwright, a wheel maker; Wainwright, a wagon 
maker; Cartwright, a cart maker, etc., and that if some 
German boy, with apparently no music in his soul 
who bears the name of Geiger, were told that his 
German forefathers were fiddlers, it might be an inspi¬ 
ration to him to see if he could not cultivate the musical 
habit. I once told a boy whose name was Krueger, 
that he ought to have quite a fondness for modeling. 
“Why?” said he. “Because your German forefathers 
were engaged in the pottery business, they were 
jugmakers. You ought to have seen the pleasure and 
astonishment on his face to find out this fact. 







The Scottish Clans. 


T HE Highland clan system came to an end after 
the decisive battle of Culloden, which was 
fought April 16, 1746. All that fateful Saturday, 
the battle royal was waged between the English troops 
under the Duke of Cumberland and Prince Charles 
Edward, more commonly called Prince Charlie, who 
led the army of the Scotch rebellion. 

The English were well equipped. The Scotch were 
not. Some clansmen were jealous of the position that 
the clans Maclean, Mackintosh, Fraser, Stuart and 
Cameron held on the battlefield. 

These clansmen had been given the right position 
on the field whereas the clan Macdonald claimed that 
the left was rightfully not theirs in battle since the 
days of Bannockburn. They therefore refused to 
charge, and thus the day was lost and with it Prince 
Charlie and his ill-fed and impoverished army. 

The cruelty of the victors was horrible beyond ex¬ 
pression. It is estimated in the next 25 years after this 
terrible battle that twenty thousand of these dissatisfied 
people left their country rather than submit to the 
tyranny of the English government. 

The clans were disbanded after the battle that 
ended in their defeat and the men were not allowed 
again to wear the clan tartans. 



Scottish Clans Surnames 45 


j. The kilts as the Scotch dress is called, is nowadays 
isimply worn for effect. Playing the Heelan mon is 
now a braw business, as an old Highland man would 
say. The Scotch word braw means gay and hand¬ 
some—something very attractive. An old Highlander 
can always know a true Highlander from one who is 
simply togged out in this attractive dress. No people 
in Europe today are advancing .in a commercial way 
more than the cannie Scotchmen. These people are 
often called the Yankees of North Britain, by reason 
of their keen instinct for business. 

The following Gaelic words are much used in form¬ 
ing Highland Scotch surnames: Mac meaning son, 
Gille meaning a servant, Fionn meaning white, Duff 
meaning black; Ray, Roy, Roe meaning red; Glas, 
Glass meaning greenish gray. More means chief or 
head man, as Gilmore, the head servant. 

Since so many Highland Scotch surnames begin 
with Mac a classification will be given, first using the 
modern spelling. Before 1705, when the modern form 
was first used, a clansman named McTavish, meaning 
descended from a son of Thomas, would write his 
name Mactavish using only one capital letter and that 
for the “Mac.” 





46 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Highland Scotch-Clan Surnames with Their 
Original Meaning. - 


Allan, a stone or rock. 

Alpen, Alpine, meaning white. 
Anderson, son of Andrew. 

Angus, a unique choice. 

Archibald, bishop. 

Arthur, high. 

Bain, Bayne, meaning white. 
Bartholomew, meaning furrows. 
Cameron, the man with a wry nose. 
Campbell, the man with a wry mouth. 
Carle, the same as Charles. 

Chattan, servant of St. Catan. 
Chisholm, a place name. 

Christopher, the Christ bearer. 

Clark, a scholar or clerk. 

Coll, high. 

Cowan, the dike builder. 

Cummings, a place name. 

Dermid, meaning free man. 

Donald, meaning world ruler. 

Duncan, meaning brown warrior. 




Scottish Clans Surnames 


47 


Duff, Duffie, meaning black color of dress. 

Dugald, meaning a stranger. 

Ewan, Ewen, a form of Hugh. 

Farquar, meaning dear one. 

Fergus, meaning a choice. 

Fengal, meaning Flora, a flower. 

Finlay, meaning fair hero. 

Fraser, Frazer, Frazier, meaning a strawberry. 
Galbraith, meaning son of a Briton. 

Gann means war. 

Gilchrist, a servant of Christ. 

Gillespie, meaning a servant of Archibald. 

* Gillies, meaning a servant of Jesus. 

Gilmour, Gilmore, meaning Mary’s gille or servant. 
Godfrey, God’s peace. 

Gordon, a place name. 

Gow, a blacksmith. 

Gregor, Gregory, a watchman. 

Henry, meaning a home ruler. 

Henderson, son of Henry. 

Hendrie, son of Henry. 

Johnston, Johnstone, Johnstoun—all forms of John- 
;oq—meaning the Lord’s Grace. 

Kendrick, a form of Henry. 

Kennedy, meaning ugly head. 

Kenneth, meaning a leader. 



48 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Kendrie, Kendry, a form of Henry. 

Kinlay means a cow pasture. 

Kintey (the Irish form), a cow pasture. 

Malise, meaning a servant of Jesus. 

Mathewson, son of Matthews. 

Mellis, meaning a servant of Jesus. 

Menzies (pronounced Mennies), and means one of 
the household. 

Miles, meaning a servant of Mary. 

Monroe, meaning mouth of the river Roe. 

Munroe, meaning mouth of the river Roe. 

Moray, a place name. 

Morgan means a fire-brand. 

Morris, son of Mary’s gille or servant. 

Morrison, son of Mary’s gille or servant. 

Murdock, the sea king. 

Murchie, the sea king. 

Murfree (Irish form), the sea king. 

Murphy (Irish form), the sea king. 

Murray, a place name. 

Murry, a place name. 

Myles, meaning a servant of Mary. 

McAdam, McAdie, McCadie, McAdams and Adamnan, 
meaning the sons of Adam. 

McAlester, McAlister, McAndie, meaning the sons of 
Alexander. 




Scottish Clans Surnames 


49 


McAllan, son of Allan, meaning a rock or stone. 
McAlpine, son of Alphine, meaning white. 
McAndrew, son of Andrew, meaning keeper. 
McArthur, meaning son of Arthur. 

McAskill,, meaning holy vessel keeper.. 

McAulay, meaning son of Olaf. 

McBean, meaning Son of Life (many spellings). 
McBain, McBayne, McBey, McVean, McVeigh, McVey, 
all variations of McBean. 

McBrayne, son of a judge. 

McCaig, son of Teague. 

McCallum, son of Malcolm (the name of Clan 
Campbell. 

McCawley (Irish form), son of Olaf. 

McCleary, son of the clerk (Clark). 

McCodrum, son of the good serpent. 

McColl, McColla, sons of Coll, meaning high. 
McCombie, meaning son of Thomas. 

McConachie, son of Duncan. 

McCormick, meaning son of a charioteer. 
McCowan, son of the dike builder. 

McCrimmon, son of a famed protector. 

McCulloch, meaning son of a boar. 

McCullough (Irish form of the name). 
McCummings, meaning place name. 

McDermid, son of Dermid, meaning the face. 



50 


Surnames and Their Origin 


McDonald, son of the world ruler, Donald. 
McDougall, McDowell, son of the stranger. 

McDuff, McDuffie, (also McFee), son of Duff, the 
black chief. 

McEckan, McEncher, McKencher, son of a dear one. 
McElroy, son of the red chief. 

McEwen, son of Hugh. 

McFarquar, son of Farquar. 

McGill, son of Mary’s servant. 

McGilvane, son of the gille or servant. 

McGlashan, son of Glass. 

McGowan, son of a blacksmith. 

McGrath, McGraw, son of grace or luck. 

McGregor* son of a watchman (Gregory). 

McHugh, son of Hugh. 

Mclan, son of John, the Lord’s grace. 

Mclnnis, son of Angus, unique choice. 

Mclnroy, son of the red chief. 

*McIntyre, son of the carpenter. 

McKane, son of John. 

McKerlie, son of the Carle. 

McKendrie, son of Kenneth. 


* It is said of the founder of the Clan McIntyre when a boat 
that he and his men were in sprung a leak he put his thumb in the 
hole to stop the leak and being called away to take charge of the 
boat he cut off his thumb and left it in the hole, thus saving the 
vessel from sinking and the people from drowning. 




Scottish Clans Surnames 


51 


McKendrick, son of Henry. 

McKeever, Mclvor, Mclver, son of Edward. 
McKellar, son of Kellar the borrower. 

McKessack, son of Isaac (laughter). 

McKillop, son of Philip, lover of horses. 

McKinlay, son of Kinlay. McKinley (the Irish form.) 
McKinnon, McKinvon, son of Fingon, the fair born. 
McKirby, son of the sea director Kirby. 

McLaren, son of Laurel the bearer. 

McLarty, son of Dominicon bear Larty. 

McLean, McLane, McLain, McClean, son of John’s 
servant. 

McLearnan, McClernan, son of St. Erran’s gille 
(servant). McLea, McLeigh, McClay. The English 
form of this name is Livingston, Livingstone. 

McLeod, McLoud, McCloud, son of a Scandinavian 
warrior. 

McMahan, McMahon, son of Matthew. 

McMartin, son of the marshal. 

McMichael, son of the sea director. 

McMillan, McMillen, son of the bald gille. 

McMurtrie, McMutrie, McMurtrick, son of the 
parson. 

McNab, son of the abbot. 

McNair, son of the heir. 

McNaughton, son of Neclan. 

McNee, McNeill, son of a king. 

McNeil, McNeill, Nelson, son of the champion. 
McNicol, son of a conqueror. 

McNish (corrupt form), son of Angus. 

McNivan, son of a saintly gille, 



52 


Surnames and Their Origin 


McPatrick, McPhatrick, son of Patrick. 

McPhail, McFall, McFaul, son of Paul. 

McPharlin, McFarlane, son of Bartholomew. 
McPhee, McFee (same as McDuff), son of the black 
chief. 

McPherson, son of the parson. 

McQuarrie, son of a nobleman. 

McRae, McCrae, McRath, son of grace or luck. 
McRandal, son of a ruler of the gods. 

McRaild, son of Harold, a horseman. 

McRobbie, son of Robert. 

McRory, McCrory, son of a famed ruler. 

McTaggart, son of the priest. 

McTavish, son of Thomas. 

McVicar, McVicker, son of the vicar. 

Neil, Neill, Neall, a champion. 

Norman means the Protector. 

Patrick means a nobleman. 

Ray, Roy means red. 

Reid means red. 

Robert, meaning bright fame. 

Robertson, son of Robert. 

Roderick, meaning famed ruler. 

Rory, meaning famed ruler. 

Ross, a headland. 

Sims, same as Simon. 

Symonds, same as Simon. 

Syms, same as Simon. 




Popular American Surnames. 


The following are some of the many names found 
in the United States. Many of these names are English, 
some Irish, others Welsh. The Highland Scotch, that 
is the mountaineers, usually have Mac preceding their 
father’s name which means son of. Wherever a 
terminal may be used in English, or Irish surnames, 
the Scotch prefer ie in spelling instead of y, as Leslie 
for Lesley, Crombie for Cromby, although both forms 
however are frequently used. Names that end in ay 
are usually Scotch, thus McKinlay, while those ending 
in ey are usually Irish; thus McKinley, the Irish form; 
Finlay is the Scotch; Finley the Irish; Lindsay the 
Scotch, Lindsey the Irish; Ramsey the Irish, Ramsay 
the Scotch form, etc. 

Adam, Adams, Addams (Abraham Lincoln in speak¬ 
ing of the father of Jane Addams, of Chicago, always 
spoke of him as Double DD Adams), Adamson, 
Armstrong, Akers, Ayer, Abbott, Amos, Alexander, 
Arnett, Addison, Allen, Allan, Alan, Allyn, Alley, 
Alleyne, Adair, Allard, Angus, Alloway, Abernathy, 
Annan, Annandale, Anderson, Abercrombie, Armour, 
Arkwright, Archer, Ashton, Askby, Ashburn, Ashley. 

Bacon, Bairn, Bairnsfather, Boys, Bebee, Boyd, 
Bayne, Burnside, Broadhead, Buchan, Buchanan, 
Blythe, Boak, Boaker, Brash, Brashear, Boon, Boone, 
Batchelor, Bower, Blackwood, Boltwood, Botsford, 
Brooke, Brooks, Beirne, Bryne, Buurne, Burns, Burness, 



54 


Surnames and Their Origin 


‘Black, Blackburn, Budd, Berry, Bury, Bull, Bullett, 
Bullock, Bullen, Bullene, Baker, Barker, Boggs, Beggs, 
Bates, Briggs, Bowles, Boldrick, Burton, Burgess, Bailey, 
Bailie, Banks, Brennan, Broadribb, Braidwood, Baird, 
Blaine, Butterfield, Broomfield, Bloomfield, Birmingham, 
Brittingham, Bushingham, Bathhurst, Brown, Browne, 
Braun, Braw, Brawner, Bruce, Beattie, Beatty, Baty, 
Batty, Butcher, Brand, Brougham, Biggar, Bate, 
Berwick, Broughton, Beath, Boswell, Brigham, Barnham, 
Barnum, Bowes, Bowman, Buck, Bock, Bok, Boulter. 

Cavanagh, Child, Childe, Childs, Combe, Collier, 
Cowan, Cockburn (pronounced Coburn), Cocke, Cox, 
Coburn, Craick, Craig, Craiggie, Crouth, Chisholm, 
Chattan, Chatten, Cousins, Clay, Cawthorn, Coates, 
Cotton, Carnegie, Corry, Corrie, Cadwell, Caldwell, 
Colwell, Colt, Collins, Crowe, Crews, Cruse, Cate, 
Catherwood, Caywood, Cragg, Cook, Carew, Constable, 
Clark, Clarke, Cruickshank, Canning, Canniff, Cunning¬ 
ham, Crooks, Clayfield, Coulter, Cairus, Caruthers, 
Carruth, Carlin, Carter, Campbell, Cooper, Cowper, 
Coe, Coventry, Cornwall, Carlisle, Carlyle, Curry, 
Currie, Cross, Crosswell, Cummings, Cannon, Cochran, 
Cochrane, Colborne, Cassidy, Casseday, Casey, Cassatt, 
Carpenter, Cowperthwait, Cranston, Collingwood, 
Cruttenden, Chittenden, Crittenden. 

Dali, Dalzell, Dalziel, Donald, Donaldson, Darling, 
Darlington, Downs, Downie, Downer, Downey, 
Downing, Dun, Dunn, Dunne, Dunning, Dean, Deane, 
Doctor, Duff (black), Dryden, Drummond, Dunkin, 
Duncan, Douglas, Durward, Davis, Davy, Davie, Davies, 
Dunklin, Davidson, Dick, Dickson, Dixon, Dawson, 



Scottish Clans Surnames 


Doe, Derby, Darby, Dunbar, Dalt< 

Dalhousie, Dundas, Dunham, Dwyef; 

Dazey, Dalhousie, Dalrymple, Dwight. 

Eaton, Eton, Eyrie, Eastwood, Escott, Earl, Earle, 
Ellis, Ellison, Ewebanks, Elgin, Edwards, Early, Erwin. 

Fairchild, Fairbain, Fairburn, Fargy, Forgy, Foster, 
Faulkiner, Fortune, Ford, Fall, Frost, Fair, Fairman, 
Fairhurst, Flint, Flynt, Fountain, Farwell, Fox, 
Fosgate, Fowle, Frazier, Fraser, Falkiner, Falconer, 
Fowler, Frye, Friar, Fell, Fill, Forrest Farmer, Field, 
Ferguson, Fields, Fielding, Foreman, Foote, Fife, Fyfe, 
Froula, Frobisher, Fones. 

Gay, Goodall, Groat, Gold, Gould, Goulding, Goold, 
Govert, Gillenwater, Gillespie, Gladwell, Gardner, 
Gardiner, Garrett, Gowan, Grosert, Grafter, Grafton, 
George, Griggs, Griffin, Griffith, Grubb, Geddes, Gilfoyle, 
Gill, Gunn, Gonne, Graham, Goodwin, Goodman, 
Goodale, Glass, Goodfellow, Grant, Green, Greene, 
Greenhill, Greenfield, Greeman, Greenwood, Glenn, 
Glenwood, Groves, Graves, Gray, Grey, Gow, Gower, 
Gordon, Gamble, Glasgow, Glasgoe, Galloway, Gilmour, 
Gilmore, Gilmer, Gilmartin, Gildersleeve. 

Halliday, Humble, Hardy, Hart, Harty, Hartie, 
Huffy, Huffie, Hartley, Hatcher, Hale, Hazel, Hazelwood, 
Hawthorn, Hope, Hay, Hays, Hayes, Haines, Haynes, 
Hynes, Hynd, Heath, Heather, Hearn, Hearne, Hood, 
Hogg, Hare, Hindman, Hyndman, Hall, Herd, Herdman, 
Hubbell, Hurd, Hill, Hemphill, Hawarden, Hardin, 
Hector, Heaney, Henderson, Hewlet, Hewitt, Houston, 
Hughes, Hewes, Huse, Harvey, Harvie, Hervy, Hilton, 




56 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Hodnet, Hogarth, Harriott, Horne, Horner, Hornby, 
Horton, Hoe, Hamill, Hamilton, Hopeton, Hopesdale. 

Ivory, Ince, Inch, Imrie, Irish, Ireland, Irvine, 
Irvin, Irving, Irwin. 


Jarrett, Jasper, Joseph, James, Jamieson, Johns, 
Jones, Johnston, Johnson, Jarvis, Jarvies, Josselyn. 

Kennedy, Kean, Keane, Keene, Kelso, Keith, Keath, 
Kidd, Kitchen, Kitchner,, Kitts, Kay, Keye, Keyes, 
Kerby, Kirby, King, Knight, Kirtley, Kirk, Kirkham, 
Kirkwood, Kemble, Kimball, Kertt, Kenton, Kenyon. 

Lenox, Lofty, Loftie, Lockwood, Leven, Leverett, 
Lynn, Linn, Lilly, Lemmon, Lyon, Lyons, Long, Lang, 
Laird, Lamb, Lambe, Leech, Leitch, Law, Lawson, 
Lawyer, Lawless, Longshanks, Littlejohn, Littlefield, 
Luke, Lucas, Lewis, Lewes, Lithgow, Leslie, Lanahan, 
Linihan, Linton, Love, Loveless, Lovelace, Lancaster. 

Mann, Mahin, Manson, Mee, Mein, Meek, Manners, 
Merry, Merrie, Moody, Moodie, Menzie, Monroe, Munro, 
Munroe, Merriles, Moon, Monypenny, March, Marsh, 
McAlpin, McAlister, McAndrews, McBaine, McGregor, 
McPherson, McLeod, McCloud, McLean, McNab, 
McIntosh, McKenzie, McKenna, McKennan, McKenney, 
McKennie, McKinney, McKinnon, McKittrick, McKelvy, 
McKelvie, McMein, May, Murfee, Moss, Mossgiel, Myrtle, 
Mayne, Molesworth, Meigs, Martin, Massie, Massy, 
Marquis, Major, Mavor, Mowat, Marshall, Majoribanks, 
Marshbanks, Meikle, Meiklejohn, Muir, Moore, More, 
Morton, Mill, Millan, Miln, Milne, Miller, Milnor, Morphy, 
Murphy, Mullen, Moss, Moses, Matthew, Matthews, 
Mathew, Mather, Mark, Markham, Milton, Morris, 



Scottish Clans Surnames 


57 


Morrison, Morison, Maurice, Mason, Milner, Mountjoy, 
Middleton, Mofat, Moffatt, Moffet, Melrose, Melden. 

Nourse, Newcomb, Napier, Nuttall, Noble, Night¬ 
ingale, Norwood, Newfield, Newland, Newton, Norton, 
Norvell, Nicol, Nichol, Nicholas, Nichols, Nain, Neil, 
Neill, Neal, Neall, Nelson, Nancarrow. 

Oldfather, Osborn, Osborne, Ogle, Orr, Oates, Orme, 
Ormiston, Osier (pronounced Oasler), Oliver. 

Plain, Plaine, Playfair, Porte, Porter, Pride, Pigott, 
Piggott, Praed, Pratt, Platt, Perry, Pole, Poling, 
Prendergast, Pool, Poole, Pond, Pitcaithly, Pitcairn, 
Primrose, Peck, Peak, Peake, Pear, Plumb, Palfrey, 
Parke, Parker, Parkman, Pigg, Pigden, Peacock, 
Prescott, Prince, Page, Pringle, Parrish, Pugh, Pue, 
Peyne, Paine, Pettyjohn, Plowman,- Polk, Poliak, 
Pollock, Pollard, Paton, Patton, Paul, Peter, Peterson, 
Parkins, Parkinson, Perkins, Pretty, Prettyman, Piper, 
Prentice, Prentiss, Priestley. 

Reekie, Rayne, Remy, Remey, Rose, Race, Ryder, 
Rook, Robbins, Reads, Reed, Reid, Raine, Rehill, 
Riggs, Rymer, Russell, Robertson, Robinson, Richard¬ 
son, Rodgers, Roger, Rogers, Roy, Ramsey, Ramsay, 
Ruggles, Ray, Rees, Rhea, Roe, Raeburn, Rule, Riddell, 
Rye, Rawlins, Rawlings, Rathbone. 

Skene, Smart, Smiles, Sorlie, Sparks, Storey, Sutton, 
Summer, Snell, Storms, Snow, Sands, Silver, Salt, 
Salter, Slate, Slater, Snodgrass, Spink, Stott (an ox), 
Steed, Steede, Stedman, Steele, Swan, Scott, Salmon, 
Simm, Sims, Simpson, Stringfellow, Stocks, Spier, 
Squier, Sharp, Sharpe, Savage, Stout, Strong, Short, 



58 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Slight, Semple, Swift, Shanks, Shepherd, Sandfield, 
Shields, Scarritt, Shelton, Skirving, Sangster, Smith, 
Smyth, Smythe, Smithers, Souter, Sadler, Sawyer, 
Stirling, Sterling, Sutherland, Swinton, Stobie, Stratton, 
Straiton, Stalcup, Starkey, Shannahan, Swope, Sawdon. 

Turnbull, Tennant, Thatcher, Todhunter (fox 
hunter), Todd (fox), Trotter, Towle, Towles, Temple, 
Torrey, Tilton, Thom, Thompson, Thomson, Thomas, 
Tompkins, Taylor, Turner, Townsend. 

Usher, Ubanks, Upton, Upham, Underwood. 

Virtue, Valentine, Varnham, Varnum, Varny, Vair, 
Vowles, Vowels, Varlow, Varloe. 

Wheat, Whitehead, Wise, Woodhouse, Winter, 
Walbridge, Warfield, Waters, Watters, Wells, Welles, 
Walker, Wiley, Wylie, Willy, Wooley, Westcott, Wills, 
Willis, Wallace, Williams, Wallis, Wiseman, Wyld, 
Wilds, Wild, Wood, Woods, White, Whyte, Webb, 
Wilton, Watt, Watts, Watson, Watkins, Wilcox, Wil- 
cocks, Wilcoxen, Waite, Wey, Wright, Webster, 
Wakefield, Wray, Wemyss (pronounced Weems). 

Young, Yonge, Youngson, Younger, Youngblood, 
Younghusband, Yomans, Youmans, Youatt. 





German Surnames and Their English 
Meanings. 


Altgeld, old money; Altmann, old man; Altemeier, 
Altemeyer, old farmer; Ackermann, the cultivator of an 
acre of land; Althof, nobleman’s old mansion or 
an old farm; Altmueller, old miller; Achtemeier, 
Achtemeyer, the eighth farmer; Ammann, the overseer 
or first man; Anbauer, an-to, bauer-farmer, hence, 
Anbauer, cultivator, settler; Amtmann, steward, coun¬ 
cillor, employe, man who has an office; Althaus, old 
house; Altenberg, old hill or mountain; Altendorff, old 
village. 

Bohnstengel, stem of a bean; Bergmann, a miner, 
a hill man; Bachmann, a man living near the brook; 
Birkemeyer, Birkmeier, a farmer having birch trees 
near his home; Becker, Baecker, a baker; Brede, a 
meadow; Bredeweg, a meadow-way or road; Breitstadt, 
broad town or city; Brodt, bread; Brueckenbauer, a 
bridge builder; Baumann, a builder; Breitbarth, a broad 
beard; Benfield, a good field; Berger, rescuer, pro¬ 
tector, mountaineer; Berholtz, berry wood; Birnbaum, 
a pear tree; Bruecke, a bridge; Brueckemann, a bridge 
man; Baumgartner, a nursery man, a tree cultivator. 

Cramer, a dealer, a merchant; Cortsimon, short 
Simon. 

Dallmann, a dweller in the valley; Dickmann, a 
thick man; Dickhut, a thick hat; Dammann, a man 



60 


Surnames and Their Origin 


owning a dam; Diekmann, a dike builder; Dorn, a 
thorn; Danhaus, a pine house; Dehner, extender; 
Denker, a thinker; Dreher, a turner; Deatrich, a pick 
lock, skeleton key. 

Eisen, iron; Eisenloeffel, iron spoon; Eggen, to 
harrow, to drag; Echelmeier, Echelmeyer, a farmer 
owning acorn trees, oak trees; Eitel, fruitless, empty, 
proud, self glorious; Ehrhard, honest heart; Ellerbrake, 
alder brush; Ernst, sincere, earnest; Erdmann, a man 
working in the earth; Esser, an eater; Eiermann, an 
egg dealer; Eimermann, a pail dealer. 

Feuerstein, fire stone or flint; Feldman, field man; 
Freund, a friend; Freytag, Friday; Friedemeier, 
Friedemeyer, a peaceful farmer; Frankenfeld, free 
field; Fuhrmann, a driver; Freiburg, a free castle; 
Fleck, a spot; Foerster, a forester; Friedebach, a 
peaceful brook. 

Gabelmann, a fork maker; Gastrock, a guest’s coat; 
Gaertner, a gardener; Goldstern, a gold star; Grauer, 
grayer; Graber, digger; Grotefeld, a large field; 
Grunewald, green woods; Gerichten, trial, court; 
Gehlbach, a yellow brook; Gehlmann, one with yellow 
hair; Geiger, a fiddler; Hausmann, a house man; 
Hempelmann, hobbleman; Hofmeister, steward, gov¬ 
ernor; Haupt, head; Holzapfel, wood apple; Hohmann, 
high man; Heidemann, heath man, heath dweller;! 
Hardt, hard; Heithaus, bright house; Heitland, bright!; 
land; Heldberg, a hero’s hill; Holz, wood; Hutmacher, 
a hat maker. 



The English Meaning of German Surnames 


61 


| Immendorf, a bee village; Immenbach, bee brook; 
Immenwald, bee woods; Immenmeier, Immenmeyer, 
a bee keeper; Iagelstrom, hedge hog stream; Inselmann, 
an islander; Immker, one who tends to bees; Inmann, 
a man within the village, the opposite of Ausmann; 
Innenkamp, within an enclosure; Iagelhaus, hedge 
i hog’s house. 

Jaeger, a hunter; Jagstein, a hunter’s stone; 
Juchhoff, to shout with hope; Jung, young; Jungfer, a 
miss, a young woman, another form of Jungfrau; 
Jochmus, yoke pap; Jachmann, a man with full speed, 
a German admiral; Jungmann, a young man; Jackmann, 
a man who wears a jacket; Jagdmann, a hunter, the 
same as Jaeger. 

Kaltenbach, a cold stream; Kaltenthal, a cold valley; 
Klein, small; Kleineschmidt, a maker of trinkets; 
Koch, a cook; Koenig, a king; Kaiser, a czar, emperor; 
Kleemann, a clover grower or dealer; Kirschmann, a 
sherry grower or dealer; Kleinau, a small meadow; 
Keohler, a man who makes charcoal; Klingeberg, a 
'inging hill; Kirch-hof, a cemetery or churchyard; 
Kirchdorf, a church village; Knabe, a boy; Kramer, a 
lealer, same as Cramer; Kinder, children; Kurz, short. 

Langhorst, long woods; Langerhans, long John; 
^ampe, lamp; Lauer, spy; Lauterbach, a clear brook; 
^esemann, a man that reads,"a reader; Leonhard, lion 
leart; Lindenmeier, Lindenmeyer, a cultivator of bass 
vood trees; Lehmhaus, a house made of clay; Leutwein, 
>eople’s wine; Lehmann, a man who works in clay; 
^agermann, a tent dweller; Lichtentahl, light of the 







62 


Surnames and Their Origin 


valley; Lichtenberg, mountain light; Metzger, a butcher; 
Maertz, march; Mansfeld, a man’s field; Metz, a 
mason; Mehlmann, flourman, a flour dealer; Mayer, 
a mayor; Meister, a master; Mauermann, a stone wall 
mason; Montag, Monday; Muehlenhaus, a mill house; 
Mischer, a mixer; Mueller, a miller. 

Nagel, a nail; Nabolz, carved wood; Neuhaus, a new 
house; Neumann, a new man; Neumeister, a new 
master; Neubauer, a new farmer; Neathammer, a rivet 
hammer; Nussmann, a nut man , a nut dealer; 
Niedernhoefer, lower yard man; Niekamp, a new 
enclosure; Nadelmann, a needle maker; Niederhof, the 
lower farm yard, under the hill. 

Obermann, over man or overseer; Olendorf, old 
village; Ottermann, a non-resident; Oehlmann, oil man, 
oil dealer; Obermueller, over-miller, head miller; 
Ortmeier, Ortmeyer, resident farmer; Obcamp, over an 
enclosure; Oberbaeker, head baker; Ost, east; Ostertag, 
Easter day; Ochsenbein, ox leg. 

Pabst, pope; Pfeiffer, a piper; Pfundt, a pound; 
Perl, a pearl; Packabusch, pack bush; Pfau, a pea¬ 
cock; Pfanschmidt, a pan smith, a pan maker; 
Pfleger, a nurse; Platt, a flat; Pressmann, a printer; 
Puffendorf, an over-praised village; Pflueger, a plow¬ 
man. 

Quetschengaertner, prune gardener or culturist., 
Quader, a cube; Quack* croak, groan; Quark, mud, dirt j 
thrash, curdled milk; Quandt, middle of a charcoa 
pile; Quellmann, spring man, a dweller near th< 
spring; Quelle, spring of water; Quastmacher, a tasse 









The English Meaning of German Surnames 63 


maker; Quarzberg, quartz hill or mountain; Queckenau, 
quick, quake meadow; Quatiermeister, quarter master; 
Quittenberg, quine hill, hills covered with quince trees. 

Rathmann, adviser, counsellor; Raase, turf, sod; 
Rahmeier, Rahmeyer, cream dairy man; Rasche, the 
quick or hasty one; Rauch, smoke; Reiser, a traveler; 
Retter, rescuer, one who saves; Richter, a judge; 
Rosenfeld, rose field; Rosenheim, the rose clad home; 
Roth, red; Rothmann, red man; Ruff, to call. 

Schell, a small bell; Schill, something that glitters 
or shines; Stern, a star; Stolberg, a round topped hill; 
Saffran, saffron, the crocus plant; Saenger, singer; 
Sauer, sour; Schaefer, a shepherd; Schaarschmidt, 
[plow share maker; Schenk, a cup bearer; Schmiedes- 
kamp, a blacksmith’s door yard; Schild, a shield; 
^chleifer, a grinder; Schneider, a tailor; Schreiber, a 
penman, a writer; Schwarz, Schwartz, black; Silber- 
nann, a silver man; Sonnenschein, bright and sunny; 
ptange, a pole; Strauss, a bouquet, ostrich; Sturm, 
htorm; Steinmetz, a stone mason; Stahl, steel; Stahlhut, 
[;teel hat. 

Tanner, a fir tree grower, cultivator of fir trees; 
fwiehaus, two houses; Thai, a valley; Teichmann, a 
dweller near a pond or pool; Thenhaus, tent house; 
rempelmann, temple of church man; Trohn, Tron, a 
hrone; Trost, consolation, comfort, trust; Trommel, a 
rum; Trillermann, a shaker. 

Uhrmacher, a clock maker; Uhlhorn, an owl’s horn; 
T nkelbach, an uncle’s brook; Unterbauer, lower 
armer; Unruh, unquietness, restlessness; Unterwald, 






64 


Surnames and Their Origin 


underwood; Untermueller, under-miller; Uhlenhorst, 
owl’s nest in the woods; Uhlendorf, an owl’s village, 
an owl’s home; Urwald, native forest. — 

Vasen, vases for flowers; Vogel, a bird; Vogelsang, 
bird’s song; Viehe, a stock raiser; Viehof, cattle yard, 
pasture; Vollrath, ful wheel; Voss, a fox; Vossmann, 
a fox hunter; Voegtlein, a minor guardian, protector; 
Vogt, an overseer, a governor; Volk, people; Volkmann, 
people’s man; Vogelfaenger, a bird catcher; Vierling, 
the fourth; Voegler, a bird decoy man, a bird catcher; 
Vos, Voss, Vosse, Vuhs, a fox. 

Waechter, watchman; Wagner, a wagon maker; 
Wahl, election; Waldmann, man of the woods; Weber, 
a weaver; Weiss, white; Weisskopf, whitehead; 
Weishaar, white hair; Weisse, wise; Weisbarth, white 
beard; Weistern, white star; Werth, worth; Wester- 
mann, west man; Wulfmann, wolfman; Wulfmeier, a 
wolf care taker; Walz, roller. 

Xereswein, sherry wine; Xander, same as Zander. 
Zeller, a jailer; Ziemer, field, fare, haunch; Zahn, 
a tooth; Zimmer, a room; Zimmermann, a carpenter; 
Zumthal, to the valley; Zink, zinc; Zumstein, to the 
stone; Zoelner, a publican, a public house keeper; 
Zorn, wrath, anger. 




Christian Names of Men, with Their Origin, 
and Ancient Nationality. 


These are also known as Baptismal names, and 
sometimes called given names: Aaron, from the 
Hebrew meaning a mountain; Abel, Hebrew meaning 
vanity; Abraham, Hebrew, meaning the father of 
many; Adam, Hebrew, meaning red earth; Adolphus, 
Saxon meaping happiness and help; Albert, Saxon, 
meaning all bright; Alexander, Greek, meaning 
a helper of men; Alfred, Saxon, meaning all 
peace; Ambrose, Greek, meaning immortal; Amos, 
Hebrew, meaning a burden; Andrew, Greek, mean¬ 
ing courageous; Anthony, Latin, meaning flourish¬ 
ing; Archibald, German, meaning a bold obseryer; 
Arnold, German, meaning a maintainer of honor; 
Arthur, British, meaning a strong man; Augustus, 
Latin, meaning venerable, grand; Baldwin, German, 
meaning a bold winner; Bardulph, German, meaning a 
famous helper; Barnaby, Hebrew, meaning a prophet’s 
son; Bartholomew, Hebrew, meaning the son of him 
who made the waters to rise; Beaumont, French, 
meaning a pretty mount; Bede, Saxon, meaning prayer; 
Benjamin, meaning the son of a right hand; Bennet, 
Latin, meaning blessed; Bernard, German, meaning 
bear’s heart; Bertram, German, meaning fair, illus¬ 
trious; Boniface, Latin, meaning a well-doer; Brian, 
French, meaning having a thundering voice; 



66 


Surnames and Their Origin 


Cadwallader, British, valiant in war; Caesar, Latin, 
meaning adorned with hair; Caleb, Hebrew, meaning 
a dog; Cecil, Latin, meaning dim-sighted; Charles, 
German, meaning noble-spirited; Christopher, Greek, 
meaning bearing Christ; Clement, Latin, meaning mild- 
tempered; Conrad, German, meaning able counsel; 
Constantine, Latin, meaning resolute; Crispin, Latin, 
meaning having curled locks; Cuthbert, Saxon, mean¬ 
ing known famously; Daniel, Hebrew, meaning God is 
judge; David, Hebrew, meaning well-beloved; Denis, 
Greek, meaning belonging to the god of wine; Dunstan, 
Saxon, meaning most high; Edgar, Saxon, meaning 
happy hour; Edmund, Saxon, meaning happy peace; 
Edward, Saxon, meaning happy keeper; Edwin, Saxon, 
meaning happy conqueror; Egbert, Saxon, meaning 
ever bright; Elijah, Hebrew, meaning God, the Lord; 
Elisha, Hebrew, meaning the salvation of God; 
Ephraim, Hebrew, meaning fruitful; Erasmus, Greek, 
meaning lovely, worthy to be loved; Ernest, Greek,i 
meaning earnest, serious; Evan or Ivon, Welsh, mean-1 
ing the same as John; Everard, German, meaning well 
reported; Eugene, Greek, meaning nobly descended! 
Eustace, Greek, meaning standing firm; Ezekiel,’ 
Hebrew, meaning the strength of God; Felix, Latin, 
meaning happy; Ferdinand, German, meaning pure, 
peace; Francis, German, meaning free; Frederick, 
German, meaning rich peace; Gabriel, Hebrew, mean¬ 
ing the strength of God; Geoffery, German, meaning 
joyful; George, Greek, meaning a husbandman; 
Gerard, Saxon, meaning all towardliness; Gideon, 
Hebrew, meaning a breaker; Gilbert, Saxon, meaning 



The Nationality of Men’s Christian Names 


67 


bright as gold; Giles, Greek, meaning a little goat; 
Godard, German, meaning a goodly disposition; 
Godfrey, German, meaning God’s peace; Godwin, 
German, meaning victorious in God; Griffith, Welsh, 
meaning having great faith; Guy, French, meaning the 
mistletoe shrub; Hannibal, Punic or Phonenician, 
meaning a gracious lord; Harold, Saxon, meaning a 
champion; Hector, Greek, meaning a stout defender; 
Henry, German, meaning a rich lord; Herbert, German, 
meaning a bright lord; Hercules, Greek, meaning 
the glory of Hera or June; Hezekiah, Hebrew, mean¬ 
ing cleaving to the Lord; Horatio, Italian, mean¬ 
ing worthy to be beheld; Hosea, Hebrew, a savior; 
Howell, Welsh, meaning sound or whole; Hubert, 
German, meaning a bright color; Hugh, Dutch, 
meaning high, lofty; Humphrey, German, meaning 
domestic, peace; Ingram, German, meaning of angelic 
purity; Isaac, Hebrew, meaning laughter; Jacob, 
Hebrew, meaning a supplanter; James or Jacques, 
French, meaning beguiling; Joab, Hebrew, meaning 
fatherhood; Job, Hebrew, meaning sorrowing; Joel, 
Hebrew, meaning acquiescing; John, Hebrew, meaning 
the grace of the Lord; Jonah, Hebrew, meaning a dove; 
Jonathan, Hebrew, meaning the gift of the Lord; 
Joscelin, German, meaning just; Joseph, Hebrew, mean¬ 
ing addition; Josias, Hebrew, meaning the fire of the 
Lord; Joshua, Hebrew, meaning a leader, a Saviour; 
Judas or Jude, Hebrew, the praise of the Lord; 
Lambert, Saxon, meaning a fair lamb; Lancelot, 
Spanish, meaning a little lance; Laurence, Latin, 
meaning crowned with laurels; Lazarus, Hebrew, 




68 


Surnames and Their Origin 


meaning destitute of help; Leonard, German, meaning 
like a lion; Leopold, German, meaning defending the 
people; Llewellyn, Welsh, meaning lightening; Louis 
or Lewis, French, meaning the defender of the people; 
Lionel, Latin, meaning a little lion; Lucius, Latin, 
meaning shining; Luke, Greek, meaning a wood or 
grove; Mark, Latin, meaning a hammer; Martin, Latin, 
meaning material; Matthew, Hebrew, meaning a gift 
or present; Maurice, Latin, meaning sprung of a Moor; 
Meredith, Welsh, meaning the roaring of the sea; 
Michael, Hebrew, meaning who is like God; Morgan, 
Welsh, meaning a mariner; Moses, Hebrew, meaning 
drawn out; Nathaniel, Hebrew, meaning the gift of 
God; Neal, French, meaning somewhat black; Nicholas, 
Greek, meaning victorious over the people; Noel, 
French, meaning belonging to one’s nativity, Christmas; 
Norman, French, meaning one born in Normandy; 
Obadiah, Hebrew, meaning the servant of the Lord; 
Oliver, Latin, meaning an olive; Onesimus, Latin, 
meaning profitable; Orlando, Italian, meaning coun -{ 
sel for the land; Osmund, Saxon, meaning house, j 
peace; Oswald, Saxon, meaning ruler of a house; * 
Owen, Welsh, meaning well descended; Patrick, 
Latin, a nobleman; Paul, Latin, meaning small, little; 
Percival, French, a place in France; Peregrine, Latin, 
meaning a wanderer; Peter, Greek, meaning a rock or 
stone; Philip, Greek, meaning a lover of horses; 
Phineas, Hebrew, meaning of bold countenance; 
Philemon, Greek, meaning affection; Ralph, Saxon, 
meaning pure help; Raymond, German, meaning quiet, 
peace; Reuben, Hebrew, meaning the son of vision; 



The Nationality of Men’s Christian Names 


69 


Reynold, German; meaning a lover of purity; Richard, 
Saxon, meaning powerful; Robert, German, meaning 
famous in counsel; Roger, German, meaning strong 
counsel; Rowland, German, meaning counsel for the 
land; Rufus, Latin, meaning reddish; Solomon, 
Hebrew, meaning peaceable; Samson, Hebrew, meaning 
a little son; Samuel, Hebrew, meaning heard by God; 
Saul, Hebrew, meaning desired; Sebastian, Greek, 
meaning to be reverenced; Simeon, Hebrew, meaning 
hearing; Simon, Hebrew, meaning obedient; Stephen, 
Greek, meaning a crown or garland; Swithin, Saxon, 
meaning very high; Theobald, Saxon, meaning bold 
over the people; Theodore, Greek, meaning the gift 
of God; Theodosius, Greek, meaning given of God; 
Theophilus, Greek, meaning a lover of God; Thomas, 
Hebrew, meaning a twin; Timothy, Greek, meaning 
honored of God; Titus, Greek, honorable; Toby or 
Tobias, Hebrew, meaning the goodness of the Lord; 
Valentine, Latin, meaning powerful; Vincent, Latin, 
meaning conquering; Vivian, Latin, meaning lively; 
Walter, German, meaning a wood master; Walwin, 
German, meaning a conqueror; William, German, 
meaning defending many; Zaccheus, Syriac, meaning 
innocent; Zachary, Hebrew, meaning remembering the 
Lord; Zebedee, Syriac, meaning having an inheritance; 
Zedekiah, Hebrew, meaning the justice of the Lord. 




Christian Names of Women, with Their Origin, 
and Ancient Nationality. 


These are also known as Baptismal names, and some¬ 
times called given names: Adeline, German, meaning a 
princess; Agatha, Greek, meaning good; Agnes, German, 
meaning chaste; Alethea, Greek, meaning the truth; 
Althea, Greek, meaning a healer; Alice, Alicia, German, 
meaning noble; Amy, Amelia, French, a beloved; Anna, 
Anne or Hannah, Hebrew, meaning gracious; 
Arabella, Latin, meaning a fair altar; Aureola, Latin, 
meaning like gold; Barbara, Latin, meaning foreign or 
strange; Beatrice, Latin, meaning making happy; 
Benedicta, Latin, meaning blessed; Bernice, Greek, 
meaning bringing victory; Bertha, Greek, meaning 
bright or famous; Blanche, French, meaning fair; 
Bona, Latin, meaning good; Bridget, Irish, meaning 
shining, bright; Cassandra, Greek, meaning a reformer 
of men; Catharine, Greek, meaning pure or clean; 
Charity, Greek, meaning love, bounty; Charlotte, 
French, meaning all noble; Caroline (feminine of 
Carolus the Latin of Charles), meaning noble spir¬ 
ited; Chloe, Greek, meaning a green herb; Christiana 
or Christina, Greek, meaning belonging to Christ; 
Cecilia, Latin, meaning from Cecil; Cicely (a 
corruption of Cecilia), Clara, Latin, meaning clear 
or bright; Constance, Latin, meaning constant; De¬ 
borah, Hebrew, meaning a bee; Diana, Greek, mean- 



e Nationality of Women’s Christian Names 71 


—t 

ing Jupiter’s daughter; Dorcas, Greek, meaning a 
wild roe; Dorothy, Greek, meaning the gift of 
God; Edith, Saxon, meaning happiness; Eleanor, 
Saxon, meaning all fruitful; Eliza, Elizabeth, Hebrew, 
meaning the oath of God; Emily (corrupted 
from Amelia), Emma, German, meaning a nurse; 
Esther, Hebrew, meaning secret; Eve, Hebrew, meaning 
causing life; Eunice, Greek, meaning a fair victory; 
Eudoia, Greek, meaning prospering in the way; 
Frances, German, meaning free; Gertrude, German, 
meaning all truth; Grace, Latin, meaning favor; Hagar, 
Hebrew, meaning a stranger; Helena, Greek, meaning 
alluring; Hester, the English form of Esther; Isabella, 
Spanish, meaning fair Eliza; Jane, softened from Joan, 
or, Jean, the feminine of John; Joyce, French, mean¬ 
ing pleasant; Judith, Hebrew, meaning praising; Julia, 
Juliana, Latin (feminine of Julius); Letitia, Latin, 
meaning joy or gladness; Lois, Greek, meaning better; 
Lucretia, Latin, meaning a chaste Roman lady; Lucy, 
Latin, feminine of Lucius; Lydia, Greek, meaning de¬ 
scended from Lud; Mabel, Latin, meaning lovely; 
Magdalene, Maudlin, Syriac, meaning magnificent; 
Margaret, Greek, meaning a pearl; Martha, Hebrew, 
meaning bitterness; Mary, Hebrew, meaning bitter; 
Maude, Matilda, Greek, meaning a lady of honor; 
Mercy, English, meaning compassion; Mildred, Saxon, 
meaning mild speaking; Nest, Welsh, the same as 
Agnes; Nicola, Greek, meaning feminine of Nicholas; 
Olympia, Greek, meaning heavenly; Orabilis, Latin, 
meaning to be entreated; Parnell, or Petronilla, Latin, 
meaning little Peter; Patience, Leah, Hebrew, meaning 





72 


Surnames and Their Origin 


bearing patiently; Paulina, Latin, feminine of Paulinus; 
Penelope, Greek, meaning a turkey; Persis, Greek, 
meaning destroying; Philadelphia, Greek, meaning 
brotherly love; Philippa, Greek, feminine of Philip; 
Phoebe, Greek, meaning the light of life; Phyllis, 
Greek, meaning a green bough; Priscilla, Latin, mean¬ 
ing somewhat old; Prudence, Latin, meaning discre¬ 
tion; Psyche, Greek, meaning the soul; Rachel, Hebrew, 
meaning a lamb; Rebecca, Hebrew, meaning fat or 
plump; Rhoda, Greek, meaning a rose; Rosamond, 
Saxon, meaning rose of peace; Rosa, Latin, meaning 
a rose; Rosecleer, English, meaning a fair rose; 
Rosabella, Italian, meaning a fair rose; Ruth, Hebrew, 
meaning trembling; Sabina, Latin, spring from the 
Sabine; Salome, Hebrew, meaning perfect; Sapphira, 
Greek, meaning a sapphire stone; Sarah, Hebrew, a 
princess; Sibylla, Greek, meaning the counsel of God; 
Sophia, Greek, meaning wisdom; Sophronia, Greek, 
meaning of a sound mind; Susan, Susanna, Hebrew, 
meaning a lily; Tabitha, Syriac, meaning a roe; 
Temperance, Latin, meaning moderation; Theodosia, 
Greek, meaning delicious; Tryphena, Greek, meaning 
delicate; Yida (Irish), feminine of David; Ursula, 
Latin, meaning a female bear; Walburg, Saxon, mean¬ 
ing gracious; Winifred, Saxon, meaning winning 
peace; Zenobia, Greek, meaning the life of Jupiter, the 
queen of Palmyra. 



CONTENTS 


Surnames Revealed in History. 4- 7 

Names from the Norman French. 5 

Surnames with Anglo-Saxon Origin. 6- 7 

German and Other Surnames in the United States. 8-15 

Origin of British Surnames. 11 

Simplified Spelling of Surnames. 12 

Corrupted Spellings.13-14 

Changes in Pronunciation. 15 

Names from the Church and Army.16-22 

Modernizing Surnames. 18 

Names from Their Sire.19-22 

Other Sources of Surnames.23-33 

Names of Scandinavian Origin. ...a.. 26-27 

Anglo-Saxon Forms. 28 

Other British Surnames.29-32 

Other British Surnames of Anglo-Saxon Origin. 33 

British and American Surnames.34-43 

Patronymics . 41 

The Source of the Irish “Fitz”. 42 

The Influence of Being Acquainted with Your Family Name.. 43 

The Scottish Clans.44-58 

Highland Scottish Clan Surnames with Their Original 

Meaning . 46 , 

Popular American Surnames.53-58 

German Surnames and Their English Meanings.59-64 

Christian Names of Men with Their Origin and Ancient Nation¬ 
ality .65-69 

Christian Names of Women with Their Origin and Ancient 

Nationality .70-72 






























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